Raitei
by Tastywheat
Summary: VOLTS era. Who, or what, is Raitei? Two standalone chapters plus a multichapter fic. CHAPTER 8 UP! The climax, the outcome of the fight, and some secrets about Raitei revealed.
1. Default Chapter

Raitei 

Disclaimer: I don't own Getbackers. Just adding my ideas to the pot.

Note: Set in anime-verse, based on episode 21 and 22. Written from Ginji's and Raitei's point of view. Constructive criticism much appreciated.

* * *

When I first awoke, it was in answer to his whispered plea.

"Please, stop this, go away..."

The child was heavy in his arms and he was still nearly a child himself, although there are no true children in Mugenjou. There are only survivors, fighters and the dead.

The monsters from the Beltline were circling closer, coming in for the kill. Like a pack of wolves, they sensed vulnerability and their jowls slavered at visions of cracking bones and torn-tender child-flesh.

"Stop this, please..."

The child was slipping from his arms, limp as a sack of dirt. His world was closing in on him, suffocating.

_It can't end like this._

Disbelief at the meaninglessness of it all. _Was this all there was?_ Broken shoes, muddy pants, bruises, another dying child, and the unblinking coldness of the skies above?

"No..."

_It couldn't be._

"Stop..."

The monsters poised for the death strike, glee in their eyes. And something else, building inside him, around him, prickling the nape of his neck. It hardened from the inside out.

"Stop it."

It broiled and crusted, charred and heaved. Anger, outrage, desperation.

"Stop it!"

Hope and despair in tandem hurtling through space to the stars, to wake me from my slumber.

"ENOUGH!"

In a flash of rage, he called me down from the heavens to exact divine justice for the ghosts of children's dreams. And I answered.

And when the dust cleared, he stood alone amidst the ruin and saw for the first time the possibility of salvation, just as later he would see the cost that comes with everything.

It was the beginning of a new era in Mugenjou.

* * *

Did he know I was there, had always been there, even before his birth? I was the dragon among the stars, brother to the heavenly snake of Asclepius, we the two serpents entwined above. And I looked down on the bustling billions on the planet, searching for the one worthy of wielding my power.

I found him amongst the rubble, a child whose purity and love were overshadowed by the towers of Mugenjou, but like the wildflowers that grow even in the cracks of concrete, he managed to flourish in that hell hole.

When he called, I answered, and bound myself to him.

I am his wild resolve, the tears of his bitter wrath and the culmination of his desperation.

I am his coldness, his burning rage, the sharp blade of his will.

Everything is in balance. Darkness and light, blessing and curse. I am his offering of hope to those who follow him, and he becomes mine in payment for the path that I clear. There is a price for everything.

I am his hope, his love, his hate, his anger.

I destroy those who seek to destroy him and in this total rending there is salvation and protection. My love is a burning love, intense, beautiful, and bright, but deadly and terrible and all-consuming. No one can escape, not even him.

Protector, destroyer, I am the source of his hope and his despair, and I bide my time, waiting, waiting...

* * *

Endnote: A little overmuch? Too little? Confusing? Let me know! 


	2. Sensations

Author's Note: I didn't plan on adding to the first chapter, but there's still so much about Ginji, Raitei and their relationship left to explore. I don't have access to the manga so I'm posting my thoughts here. As always, I'm happy with intelligent discussion/criticism, so please review! 

scary inu: I agree that Raitei is much colder than Ginji. I think he sees the world in very concrete terms-good, bad, destroy, don't destroy. He lays down the law in a way that Ginji never would. He does what Ginji can't or won't, and in this way, he protects Ginji, but he also hurts Ginji. That's my interpretation anyways. And yes, I see Raitei as a part of Ginji (just like Asclepius is a part of Ban), not the other way around. However, I also see Raitei as a separate consciousness, so I tried giving him a voice. As for whether he's good or bad...what do you think? ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Getbackers in any way, shape or form.

* * *

Ginji's senses always tingled when he lived in Mugenjou, like a second skin enveloping him. It was a slight buzzing perpetually on his periphery. The first time he noticed this sensation was after the Incident, when he first became the Raitei. When the dust had cleared, he felt more than saw the crater around him. The residue from the destruction radiated up from the broken and charred rocks, even though all was still. He could feel how scorched the pavement was, even though the ground was cool. Nothing moved, but he felt the aftermath through the little hairs on his forearms and on the back of his neck, as if something was radiating and heating the air around him.

Even more so, he could feel the cooling pin pricks emanating from the girl in his arms. These were also from an aftermath, but one of a different sort. The destruction of inanimate objects felt like a warm dusty breeze. These sharp little pains pricking his arms and chest and face were the residue of life that has left the body. It was a sensation that Ginji wished he would never feel again.

After the incident, Ginji experienced the buzzing like he experienced his other senses, although it was more like a combination of touch and sound. Every subtle change in his surroundings he felt like a breeze across this invisible second skin. Every stirring, whether mechanical, animal or human, he registered as a tickle here, a brush there, or even a small pinch on the nape of his neck, at the base of his skull. A cat catches a mouse in the alleyway behind him, and he recognizes the cat's elation and the mouse's terror. A drunken brawl across the street breaks out and he feels the roiling tension like a puff of warm air on the back of his knee. All of the sensations of living and fighting and dying clash around him, resulting in the familiar buzzing sensation as he walks down a street in Lower Town.

Ginji never gave this added sense much thought. He thinks about it as often as one thinks about what it feels like to touch or taste or hear something. After a while, it is just another sense, as organic as a child in the womb feeling its mother's emotions.

One day, the buzzing on his periphery registered something he had never felt before. He knew that someone unusual was in Lower Town-unusual even for Mugenjou-before he even set eyes on him. There was a change in the air, as if an unknown energy had entered the area. That was how he found and met Midou Ban...

* * *

There is no clear demarcation between the outer edges of Mugenjou and the slums of Shinjuku, but Ginji knew the moment he crossed the border. That buzzing that had accompanied him for years, that had told him of his surroundings even in total darkness, died down to a barely distinguishable sensation. He couldn't tell if the tickle going down his spine was his own excitement or fear or if it was a warning from his sixth sense. He didn't know if it was mental or physical. Part of him was scared. It was like losing the ability to touch, as if his whole body was numb. Without the milling residue that usually blanketed him, he felt naked and insecure. But another part, a larger part of him was glad. For the first time in a long time, he felt human again. The outer layer that not only protected him, but separated him, from the inhabitants of Mugenjou, had fallen away. He felt like a newborn baby, cut free from the body that both fed and protected him, pushed into a new world of sensations.

* * *

Ginji paused mid-stride when he felt the change. What was this sudden quietness he felt? Was this what it meant to leave Mugenjou? Was this peace?

Ahead of him, Ban stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "Changing your mind about leaving?"

"No," said Ginji, turning to look up at structure looming over them. "I just..."

Ban studied his new friend over the rims of his glasses. He knew he would never know what this moment meant for Ginji, but that didn't change this new sense of responsibility he felt for him. It was a life-changing moment for both of them.

"Come on, then. Let's go."

* * *

Much later, when Ban explained to him that all living things generated electricity in their brains, that thoughts were really electrical signals sent between synapses, Ginji nodded even though he didn't completely understand the mechanics of it.

Ban tried to explain his hypothesis that Ginji was able to directly affect what happened inside Mugenjou because of all the electricity that not only ran through the building itself, but also the electricity that made up the virtual parts of Mugenjou (and it was anyone's guess how much of Mugenjou was real and how much was virtual). Ban guessed that Ginji was organically connected to Mugenjou through the electricity. Ginji merely looked at Ban wide-eyed and dewy, scratching the back of his head. Ban sighed and told him not to worry about it.

Later that night though, while Ban was snoring in the driver's seat beside him, Ginji remembered the prickling buzzing sensation he had while in Mugenjou and wonders if that was connected to the electricity in the people around him. He wonders if souls are made out of electricity.


	3. On a Street, Part I

**A/N**: thanks to everyone who reviewed. Getting feedback is the whole point of posting my stories here. As you can see, I'm slowly developing my writing style. Chapter 1 is just thoughts, chapter two has some setting, and in this chappie you actually get a scene! And some plot! Sorta... Enjoy, and remember to review. Thanks. 

**Revised **3/21/05: Edited for pacing and canon flub, added some ideas, and filled out characterization.

**Rabid Lola** and **Atropos' Knife**: Lol, it didn't even occur to me that Ginji's magnetism could explain why he attracts people. I was thinking more about how his sensory experience affects and is affected by electricity in his environment (in Mugenjou, in people's brains, etc.). I like your interpretations much better though. )

**b c:** Glad you were glad to read this. I'm not sure what you mean by incomplete, so please explain. Each chapter is meant to be a stand-alone. I'd love to hear more so I can improve my writing.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine.

* * *

When Ginji walks down a street in Lower Town, he is usually lost. Few people know this about himthat he is directionally challenged. Ginji usually walks at a leisurely pace, arms swinging gently at his sides, innocent brown eyes wandering over the facades of buildings and people alike, full of wonder as if he'd never been there before (which, of course, he most likely has; he just doesn't remember exactly where _there_ is). To the residents he passes on the crooked little streets, he always looks like he is perfectly content to be where he is at the moment. They greet him as they pass him on the street, and he smiles and waves back cheerfully. The women bow and smile demurely, the children run up to him and gather around him as if drawn by magnets, trying to catch his attention by tugging on his shirt or pants. 

Ginji's directional handicap is mostly known only among the top members of VOLTS, the ones closest to Ginji like Kazuki and Shido and Makubex and the like, not because it was a carefully guarded secret or anything, but because they were always the ones who had to retrieve their errant leader whenever he got lost on one of his strolls. And he did this oftenstrolling, that is. And getting lost.

_Watching him, though, you'd never guess that he was lost_, thought Kazuki as he walked beside Ginji. He and Juubei, who was following slightly behind them, had been asked to find Ginji and bring him to the clearing on the east side of Lower Town, near the old warehouse district. Normally, if a VOLTS member wanted to talk to Ginji and Ginji wasn't around, they would just wait because he always turned up sooner or later. If it was urgent, they would ask Shido to send one of his crows, or ask Makubex to find him with his computers. Neither Shido nor Makubex had been around, so Kazuki had been sent.

"Is it really urgent?" asked Kazuki, when Kouji requested to talk with Ginji about something.

"Not urgent," said Kouji, "but I think he'll want to take a look at this himself."

Kouji was taller than Kazuki, had similar brown-colored hair but had it arranged in sharp spikes all around, and possessed a powerful but not bulky build that made the Threadmaster look all the more feminine. Where Kazuki's face was pale and smooth as cream, Kouji's was rough and toughened by the sun. He was also older and had experienced much, as evidenced by the thin scar going down the right side of his face. In fact, he was the leader of one of the warring clans before he and his followers agreed to join VOLTS. He knew Kazuki from when Kazuki was the fearsome leader of Fuuga, had even fought against him briefly, before they were united under Ginji.

"Is it something I can help with?" asked Kazuki. There wasn't much that required Ginji's personal attention, and things that did were usually urgent. Everything else could usually be handled by another VOLTS member, such as himself or Kouji.

"You can come if you'd like, but make sure you bring Ginji," replied Kouji.

"What about Shido or Masaki? Should they come too?" asked Kazuki, sensing that something bigger was happening than Kouji was letting on. The other man usually kept to himself and his group, even after joining VOLTS. Kazuki knew it was an issue of pride that the man didn't like asking the other VOLTS members for help. So far, Ginji had respected Kouji's independent nature, just like he had accepted everyone else for who they were, and Kazuki had followed Ginji's lead.

"Masaki, I know, has been busy, and Shido I haven't seen all day."

"Me neither, and Makubex is missing too," said Kazuki, a note of concern in his voice.

"I'm sure they're fine," said Kouji. "Just bring Ginji with you. I'll meet you at the clearing on the east side, where the warehouses used to stand," he said, giving a casual wave as he left.

Kazuki carefully watched the fellow VOLTS member disappear around the corner.

"Juubei," he said to his friend, who had been listening to the exchange from the shadows above. "Let's go."

* * *

Kazuki had spotted Ginji first. The VOLTS leader was talking to a brown-haired boy of about twelve years old and a little girl in black pigtails, who barely came up to Ginji's waist. Ginji waved merrily as he and Jubei approached, but the children were silent and merely watched. Kazuki told Ginji about Kouji's strange request, and as he did so, he noticed the looks on the children's faces become more and more reserved. No doubt Ginji had been about to join in some game with them, and he knew that they were probably disappointed that Ginji had to leave. But that was the way things were in Mugenjou. 

Ginji tried not to let his own disappointment show though. He smiled his carefree smile, trying to reassure the children that he'd be back soon and they could show him whatever they wanted to show him then. The children could tell, however, that this smile wasn't coming from Ginji-san, their carefree friend with the gentle eyes and childlike heart. This smile was coming from Ginji-san, leader of VOLTS. Kazuki and Juubei saw the difference too, and knew that the smile was tempered by the sense of duty. They themselves were familiar with the burden of responsibility that came with leading VOLTS. It came from the weight in your heart from knowing that you might have to kill in order to protect your loved ones.

The children didn't understand this, but they could feel it. They knew to accept Ginji's smile for what it wasan attempt to preserve their own happiness, to spare them from disappointmentand tried their best to reassure him that their feelings were indeed uninjured, plastering on the same carefree smile, knowing that theirs was as forced as Ginji's.

* * *

(earlier) 

"Hey, Ginji-san!"

He stopped and looked up. A brown and dirty child with a floppy bowl cut waved at him from a pane-less second story window. The top of another head popped into view, this one barely able to peer over the cracked sill. Ginji smiled as a second little hand reached up over the edge and waved blindly down at him.

"Ginji-san, wait!"

Both figures disappeared from view, accompanied by clopping sounds as they raced down rickety wooden stairs in flapping, too-large sandals that they had obviously found in a trash pile somewhere. Moments later, they reappeared from the dark doorway, kicking up dust and dirt as they ran towards him with hands raised to shield themselves from the glaring mid-afternoon sun. They stopped before him, the older boy beaming and holding a beat up soccer ball while the little black-haired girl panted slightly.

"Long time no see, Tatsuo," said Ginji, patting him on the shoulder. "And Rin." The little girl blushed.

"Where have you been, Ginji-san?" asked Tatsuo. "Can you stay? Are you busy right now?"

"Eh, no, not busy really. I was just"

"Great! Then come play with us! I'll go find the others and we'll show you how much we've improved since last time."

Ginji saw the excitement and pleas shining in their eyes, and he couldn't help smiling. It was moments like these that reminded him exactly why VOLTS had been formed and why he had accepted the burden of leadership. The look in Tatsuo's and Rin's eyes differed from the look in the eyes of his friends when he was growing up during the warring period, when rival gangs battled each other for control of Lower Town and monstrous groups from the Beltline swooped down to wipe out the rest. None of the children he had known then looked like children. They all had too much experience and not enough hope in their eyes. All of them, including himself.

Since the formation of VOLTS though, Ginji had noticed a change gradually take place among the residents. The women no longer tried to scurry unnoticed down the street with their head down, clutching their packages tightly to themselves. The men no longer looked like guard dogs on high alert as they herded their children home, turning their heads at the slightest sound and eying suspiciously anyone who approached. Everyone seemed to breathe a little easier, and even the dingy gray buildings started looking less forlorn.

But the biggest difference was in the children.

Whereas Ginji's friends rarely had the luxury to laugh when they were young, children like Tatsuo smiled easily now. Ginji remembered Tatsuo as a serious boy when they had first met two years ago. It was in an open space a few streets over, somewhere nearby, and Ginji had found him in crumpled blue overalls, angrily kicking a faded soccer ball against the wall. Each time the ball hit the wall, a small cloud of plaster rose up and bits of the wall fell, adding to the little pile already formed on the ground.

"You know, I'm sure that whatever the wall did to you, it's feeling pretty sorry now," said Ginji lightly.

Tatsuo eyed him out of the corner of his eye and continued kicking the ball.

Kick. Slam. Crumble.

"Heh, unless it's the ball that you're trying to punish."

"Don't care, doesn't matter," muttered the boy, not bothering to look up this time. Kick. Slam. Crumble.

"Mind if I join you then?" said Ginji.

"Go ahead, it's not like there's anyone here telling you what to do."

Kick. Slam. Crumble.

The setting sun cast their long shadows against the wall and turned the game of kickball into a game of shadow dodgeball. Of course, the shadows were losing. Each kick sent the ball flying towards the shadow boy's head and rebounded with a satisfying smack. The boy's face was also in shadow. He kept his head down, concentrating on the ball, not looking at Ginji.

"Is there anyone else around?" asked Ginji after a while, kicking the ball smoothly when it came towards him.

Kick. Bounce. Bounce.

"No."

Kick. Slam. Crumble.

All was quiet except for the scuffle of shoes in the dirt, the ball hitting the wall, and the crackle of the plaster. Ginji was reminded of the times he used to play ball with his friends, how much fun they had despite all the tragedies that had befallen them.

"What about your parents? Where are they?" Kick. Bounce. Bounce...roll...

...Without a word, the lone boy picked up the ball, turned sharply, and started walking away. Ginji watched him go, feeling inexplicably sad. The boy barely made a dark blot against the setting sun, he was so skinny and stooped. Another lost child, another orphan. Just like he was, not so long ago.

"That's it, isn't it? Your parents are gone," he said, softly.

The boy kept walking, arms swinging stiffly, hands clenched in fists, head down, refusing to look back, and pretending like he hadn't heard.

Ginji sighed. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever stop seeing shadows of himself in the people around him. The boy was only a few years younger than Ginji himself, but already he had experienced as much as Ginji had. Ginji and his friends never had the chance to act like children, but the younger ones over the past few years looked like they were born knowing too much already, and it was getting worse.

The boy kept walking, staring straight ahead. Watching him was like watching a darker, angrier version of himself. Ginji knew that he couldn't let the boy walk away, not like this.

"Hey, wait a minute!" called Ginji, jogging to catch up.

"Go away, I'm done talking to you," said the boy, keeping his eyes forward.

"But I'm not done talking to you," replied Ginji, now walking alongside him. "You can't just walk away from your problems."

"Oh yeah? Watch me," he said as he picked up his pace.

"You might be able to ignore your problems, but you won't be able to escape your feelings. They'll follow you no matter where you go, or how fast you walk."

"And what do you know about it, huh? Since you seem to know everything anyway. Nevermind, don't bother," he said, shaking his head, "I've heard it all before."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say," said Ginji, lengthening his strides to keep up.

The boy stopped suddenly, turned on Ginji and stared him straight in the eye, hands on his hips, challenging him.

"Well?"

Ginji paused, taken aback by the fierceness in the boy's expression. Somehow, he felt responsible for the boy's anger and loss. All the work he had done over the past few months-.-driving back the forces from the Beltline, negotiating truces between rival gangs, bringing warring factions together under his leadership-.-all had been aimed at trying to protect the people around him. He truly loved the people of Lower Town, admired their fierce will, their struggle to live meaningful lives under terrible conditions, and he felt a strong sense of protectiveness towards these people, even if he didn't know all of them. It didn't matter if they were strangers. They were strangers suffering under the same circumstances, fighting for their right to live, and this struggle bound them together like family. Ginji understood that it was his responsibility to protect the residents of Lower Town from outside forces and from each other, because he alone had the power and following to do so. It was a burden he had only recently accepted.

But, even after all his struggles, in a lone lot on a sunny afternoon, against the setting sun, he still finds a boy a lost as he ever was, or even more so. It made him question everything that he had worked for. Was he really making a difference? Was what he was trying to accomplish really the answer, or was it just a temporary salve on a festering wound that would never heal?

"Well?" The boy stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry," said Ginji, quietly. It was the truth, and it was the only thing he could have said.

For a moment, the boy just stood there, looking straight ahead. Ginji wondered if the boy was getting ready to bolt again. Then he noticed that the boy's shoulders were shaking.

"SHUT UP!"

"Wha-" Ginji took a step back, surprised at the sudden outburst.

"JUST SHUT UP! You don't even know what you're saying! You have NO idea!"

The boy's face scrunched up in anger. His back and shoulders were so stiff he looked like he was holding onto his control through sheer will. One more push of his buttons and he would probably run at the taller blonde stranger before him with fists and arms flailing. He was precariously close to the edge.

"Hey now, take it easy," said Ginji, putting his hands up, trying to calm the boy down, but the boy didn't even hear him past the rushing sound in his ears.

"Don't tell me you're sorry! Don't you EVER tell me that!" he screamed, his entire body wound so tightly he was shaking. "You don't even know me! You know NOTHING about me or what I had to go through, so don't pretend that you care!" The boy was panting now, sun rays reflecting off the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"But I do care, and I am sorry that you lost your parents," said Ginji quietly.

"HA!"

Ginji was dumbstruck. It was the bitterest laugh he had ever heard, a lump of pure venom and pain choked out from a frozen heart, and this was coming from a child who couldn't have been more than ten years old.

"LOST my parents! I WISH! I WISH they were dead!" the boy spat.

His already high-pitched voice cracked and his breath came in short pants. How could such a scrawny child contain such bitterness and survive?

"What do you mean?" asked Ginji, even though he already had an idea what was coming. He'd heard the story and seen the rage too many times. The story was also his, but the rage was not. No, he had been spared that hell at least.

"I didn't LOSE them, they LEFT me! Just turned and left me here!"

A tear raced furiously down the boy's cheek. He angrily fisted it away.

"There! I've said it. Are you happy now?" Ginji tried not to flinch under the boy's accusatory gaze. "Is that what you wanted to hear? That they were worthless? That they were weak and so they left me here alone? That they were COWARDS, both of them?"

Ginji stood there silent, not moving, letting the boy release all his anger onto him, taking in the boy's pain and adding it to his own.

"They didn't love me. They didn't even care about me." The boy was ranting blindly now. "They just cared about themselves. They ran and they didn't even look back. Just RAN and left me, so don't you DARE apologize for them!"

The boy's words triggered memories that Ginji thought had been banished long ago. Flashes of dark nights, cold dirt floors, strange sounds, and the thunder that shook him to the bone. Moldy bread, bits of meat still stuck on a bone, drinking water out of a tin can. Memories of doubts, of fears. Did his parents leave him willingly? Did his mother love him? Did she ever sing to him? He always thought that they must have left him here for a good reason, but, confronted with a child who shared the same past but was possessed by such disillusionment, it was like staring into a mirror and seeing despair. Was this what would've happened to him if he had dwelled in his memories? Would he have become a child spewing nothing but black poisonous venom? Ginji didn't know. He just remembered what it was like before his path took that sudden turn all those years ago, when Teshimine-san found him. When Teshimine-san had saved him from becoming like this.

The boy had quieted down and was panting, tired out from his ranting. His small body wasunable to sustain the emotions coursing through his veins. Leftover tears trickled down his cheeks and his body was hunching in on itself, making him appear smaller and even more lost.

"You're wrong about one thing," said Ginji, quietly, his eyes full of kindness and sympathy.

The boy looked into them, really looked at Ginji for the first time, and was surprised by the lack of pity there. This stranger with the gentle and innocent eyes was not preaching self-righteously down on him, but genuinely cared.

"I wasn't apologizing for them," said Ginji. "I was apologizing to you."

The boy's eyebrows scrunched up and he stared at Ginji.

"W-what?" he asked, faintly horrified. No one had ever apologized to him, or shown even the slightest bit of kindness. That a stranger would do this was incomprehensible to him.

"But why? What for?"

Ginji gave him a sad smile. It was hard to find the right words, for once. The vulnerability in the boy's face was heartbreaking. It was as if this was the first time in a long time that the boy had experienced kindness that wasn't charity. And he looked so scared, like any moment he was expecting the hammar to fall and shatter his fledgling hope. Looking at the boy, Ginji felt unbearably and inexplicably sad, like the weight of his whole existence was bearing down on him. The last year, since his emergence as Raitei and the founding of VOLTS, had been hellish for him as he worked to bring the warring gangs under his control. The turning point had come barely a few months ago, when Kazuki had agreed to bring Fuuga under him and Emishi's clan had followed Makubex and Shido in joining VOLTS. He hadn't wanted to be the leader, but he and everyone else knew that he alone was capable of shouldering the burden. They automatically looked to him for direction. And so he had accepted. But now, looking into the eyes of this boy, whom he had just found, Ginji wondered how much more darkness he would have to fight through before the residents of Lower Town could see light.

_Why? What for?_

"For failing to save you," he said quietly.

The boy was silent. Slowly, his shoulders loosened, his knees buckled, and he slumped down to the ground, all his energy drained. He stared at the back of his dirty hands, brown as the dirt-covered ground. The sun was disappearing behind the surrounding buildings. It was getting colder, but he wasn't trembling because of that.

"But you don't even know me..." he whispered as new tears formed in his eyes. He angrily wiped at them with his sleeve, then drew his knees toward himself and wrapped his arms around them.

He looked so small and alone. Ginji wondered if he looked like that when Teshimine-san first found him.

"But I do," said Ginji, squatting down to his level. "I don't know your name, but I know you." He placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"How?" asked the boy, looking at Ginji, his eyes shining with tears that threatened spill over.

"Because I'm just like you."

The boy looked up and saw the sadness in Ginji's eyes. Ginji smiled and settled himself beside the boy on the street, stretching his legs out before him and leaning back on his arms, letting the last rays of the setting sun shine on his face and warm him.

"I never knew my parents. They left me before I was old enough to remember them. I don't know when they were gone or why, and I used to cry myself to sleep, wondering if they loved me, if they were thinking about me, or if they were even alive still. One day, a man found me. He wiped my tears away and he took my hand and he led me away from the place I had been hiding in. I was lucky. He took care of me and he was the closest thing I had to a parent. More importantly, though, he showed me that I had to move on. If I wanted to live, I had to keep moving forward. I couldn't hide myself forever. So now I'm going to tell you the same thing. Move forward, if you want to live, because the possibilities of tomorrow are always greater than the disappointments of yesterday."

The sun was now fully blocked by the buildings, but light was still being reflected by the upper levels of Mugenjou. The boy was silent, staring straight ahead, and Ginji wondered if he had been listening, or if he had been too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He sighed, patting the boy on the back as he stood up.

"You better find somewhere safe to spend the night soon. There is a group of kids somewhere near the brick building a few blocks away who might be able to-"

"Tatsuo."

Ginji stopped and looked at the boy, who hadn't moved. "What was that?"

"You said that you didn't know my name," said the boy, still sitting. "My name is Tatsuo."

"Tatsuo, eh?" said Ginji, smiling. "I'm Ginji. Amano Ginji." He held out a hand.

The boy hesitated a for a second, and then reached up and clasped it. He let Ginji help him up.

"I'm just Tatsuo," dusting himself off. "I don't remember what my last name is."

"Heh, you remind me of someone I know then," said Ginji, giving him a friendly punch in the arm. Tatsuo smiled, a real smile for the first time. "Come on, Tatsuo, let me introduce you to some kids I know who live not far from here..."

* * *

"Ginji-san!" 

Ginji started out of his memories. "Hmm?"

Tatsuo had been pulling on his vest. "Did you hear what I just said?" he asked.

"Uhh...err..." said Ginji, scratching the back of his head embarrassed.

"Ginji-saaan..."

"Hehe, sorry, I was just thinking of something."

"_Well_, I was saying that I've been teaching Rin how to dribble the ball, and if you wanted to watch her dribble."

Ginji looked at the two hopeful faces turned up at him. Happiness beamed from them, nearly all of the shadows had been banished from Tatsuo's face. Rin, who was part of the generation too young to remember the warring period, was all innocence and hope. This was what he had worked so hard to protect. How could he turn them down?

"Sure, that sounds gre-"

"Ginji!"

All three turned at the sound of Kazuki's voice. The slender young man was walking toward them, silently trailed by Juubei.

"Hello Kazuki, Juubei. What are you two doing here?" asked Ginji. Tatsuo and Rin were quiet, immediately sensing that something was up and that they wouldn't get to play with Ginji today.

"I'm sorry to bother you Ginji, but Kouji requested that I find you and bring you to the clearing near the old warehouse district on the east side," said Kazuki.

"Did he say what it was for?" asked Ginji.

"No, he just said that it was important but not urgent."

Ginji was silent for a moment, thinking.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Masaki is leading some of our people in cleaning up the aftermath of that fire from yesterday, others are patrolling some of the northern blocks for that kidnapper, and Emishi is with his clan," he said, and paused. He gave Juubei a look before continuing. "And Shido and Makubex haven't been seen all day. I don't know where they are."

"And Sakura?"

"She's with Emishi. Some members of his clan suddenly fell sick, and she is tending them," said Juubei.

"I see," said Ginji, still thinking. "And Kouji asked you this himself?"

"Yes."

Kazuki watched Ginji weigh the different pieces of information, wondering if he felt the same thing he did.

"Where is Seiichi and the rest of Kouji's group?" asked Ginji, his features still not betraying anything.

"I, uh, I don't know" said Kazuki, surprised he hadn't thought to ask Kouji about that.

Tatsuo and Rin had observed this exchange in silence. They recognized all the names, for everyone in Lower Town knew. They also recognized the situation and knew that Ginji had to go. They could feel the tension in the air.

"We'll show you some other time, Ginji-san" said Tatsuo, taking Rin by the hand.

"But" said Ginji, feeling like he was letting them down. He could see the disappointment behind their brave facades.

"It's okay, we understand," said Tatsuo, trying to reassure Ginji with his smile without forcing it. "Just come back soon."

Ginji nodded and returned his smile. "Okay, I promise."

"Come on, Rin, let's go." Both Tatsuo and Rin waved as they ran back into the building they came from.

Ginji sighed, wishing that he didn't have to go, but the feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that he and Kazuki were both right in sensing that something was amiss and that they better see what Kouji wanted to show them as soon as possible.

"Let's go," he said, turning east and walking away from the late afternoon sun, Kazuki and Juubei behind him.

**

* * *

**

**Endnotes**: This ficlet will be continued in the next chapter, don't worry. Note, however, that not all ficlets/drabbles are meant to connect. Most will be just stand-alones.

I hope the time jumps weren't too confusing. I don't know much about the formation of VOLTS, so lemme know if anything's blatantly inaccurate.

Also, I'm not sure if Kazuki and Jubei would call him Ginji or Ginji-san or Ginji-chan or whatever, so I left that off. Anyone know? I suck at honorifics. Tatsuo calls him Ginji-san though, to show respect because Ginji is older, is the leader of VOLTS, and because he sees Ginji as a mentor figure.

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	4. Darkness Falls

**A/N**: Damn ffnet,taking away all my lovely dashes and hyphens. ...grumbles... Any funny spacing in the previous chapter or this results from deleted dashes, until I can figure out how to get them to stay, that is. "Down a Street" probably should've been it's own separate fic, but oh well, it's short. I do have ideas for longer fics, but I need to work up to that level of complexity first. 

Big thanks to all who reviewed! Your comments are always helpful and inspiring.

**Rabid Lola**: _Why do I sense betrayal on Kouji's part? Or is it just my imagination...?_ Muahahaha...

**Disclaimer**: Not mine. Except maybe Tatsuo, Kouji, and Seiichi.

* * *

"_Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee_"  
-Henry IV, part II. Act V, scene 5.

When Raitei walks down a street in Lower Town, everything trembles before him, even the earth, and everything lies deathly still behind him. The aura of authority that separates him from all other beings is apparent in his walk. Each step is cold and precise. There is no wasted effort, no meaningless movement. He is pure efficiency and calculated control. He walks slowly, regally, with purpose. With each stride, tiny cracks appear in the pavement, the dust swirls, and flares of electricity whip out, clearing a path for him. He is the lord of the castle and when he moves, he is all panther-like grace and power.

_Make way. The lord has come._

Lightning flashes, and in that split second of illumination, the crooked gray buildings lining the street look like they're tiliting haphazardly toward the center, as if in a shaky bow before their ruler. Empty doorways gape like black mouths wide open. The windows, those that aren't boarded up or broken, are closed like eyes wide shut.

_Close your eyes and bow. The emperor is coming. No one may see him and live._

All is silent. The street holds its breath, waiting, until the next shuddering crack of thunder resounds, and the lightning comes.

The surrounding area is nearly deserted. All of the residents had felt the approaching storm and had fled. The men, squinting into the late afternoon sun, had read the signs in the atmosphere and had secured their belongings and left. The women, feeling the prickle of electricity in the air, had gathered their children, and went in search of shelter. Even the children had sensed Mugenjou's rising dread and were quiet. The animals, of course, were long gone. It was a survival technique that man and beast had learned to master long ago, even before the appearance of Raitei. They learned it when running from the Beltline invaders. They learned it from living in their urban jungle. It was a law of nature. Anyone who didn't learn, didn't survive. It was a tough lesson, but there was a reason why Mugenjou bred tough people.

Another bolt of lightning flashes overhead, this time striking the central tower and snaking down its length. All of Mugenjou shudders at the impact. The air tastes like iron and steel. Kazuki flinches as he feels the power speed past him in the electric wiring that are the veins of Mugenjou, racing towards the glowing figure walking before him. The Raitei, Amano Ginji.

Raitei walks like a big cat stalking his prey. His pale, cold eyes are focused on the figure at the end of the street. Kazuki and Jubei try not to shrink back as he passes. Their minds tell them that they are safe, the Raitei is not angry with them and would never hurt them, but instinct tells them to beware. Raitei seldom ever fully appears, but when he does, it is only when he is extremely angry, and then he is extremely dangerous. They don't move, but the sheer force of Raitei's presence nearly knocks the wind out of them. They could feel the roiling anger and icy resolve washing over them in waves, threatening to suffocate them. Tendrils of electricity lash out from Raitei's body, crackling the air and licking the ground. Each step resounds with the weight of approaching doom...

Overhead, the sky is blotted out by clouds.

Even heaven did not want to bear witness to the Thunder Emperor's rage.

And he is _very_ angry.

* * *

Ginji walked quickly, eyes foward, back straight, hands brushing his sides lightly. Kazuki was leading him and Juubei towards the meeting point in the old warehouse district on the east side. The Threadmaster, unlike Ginji, had an excellent memory and sense of direction. Juubei was walking silently to Kazuki's right and slightly behind, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Ginji, engrossed in his thoughts, was barely paying attention to the people around him. He didn't notice how people turned and eyed them curiously as they passed, trying to guess the cause of their brisk pace and serious expressions. He didn't notice how other pedestrians made way for them, giving them a wide berth down the middle of the street. Ginji was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he followed Kazuki automatically. If Kazuki had walked off a cliff, he probably would have followed. 

He only came out of his inner world when the street started becoming less crowded and more run down. The buildings in this district were dilapidated, even for Mugenjou. There wasn't much activity. The few people around sensed that the three VOLTS members were on an important errand and quickly decided to go somewhere else. Finally, Kazuki stopped at the border to the warehouse district.

The area was pretty much abandoned. No one remembers what the warehouses used to store. A strange fire had burned most of the structures down long ago, and now it was a junkyard filled with debris of various sizes. The street urchins stayed away because there was nothing there, just random pieces of scorched bricks and huge chunks of twisted metal. The adults considered the area unlucky because not even rats lived there.

"Kouji-san said to meet him at the center clearing," said Kazuki. "It's about two blocks from here, straight ahead."

Ginji nodded and they made their way forward slowly, Ginji in the lead and Kazuki and Juubei following on either side. There was something eerie about the silence punctuated only by the quiet scuffing of their shoes on the gravel road. The warehouses were in various states of ruin. Some were merely scorched and had holes in the roof. Others were nothing but a pile of rubble.

Suddenly, a sizzling rock crashed into the ground at Ginji's feet and exploded, pieces flying everywhere. Ginji stopped short, and both Kazuki and Juubei reached for their weapons, their senses on high alert. And that's when they saw Kouji.

He came out of the warehouse on the right and stopped in the middle of the street, his hulking form, bulldog-ish build, spikey black hair, and thin white scar running diagonally across his right eye were unmistakable. His men, several dozen of them, also appeared and fanned out around Ginji, Kazuki and Juubei. They were led by Kouji's former second-in-command, Seiichi, from back when Kouji controlled his own gang. Seiichi, who looked like a pool hall hustler, complete with black suit, open red-collared shirt, and slicked back hair, stood slightly off to the side and behind his men, but had his sword at the ready.

Then there was the person that Kouji had dragged out with him, and it was on this person that Ginji focused his attention. Kazuki gasped when he saw who it was.

"Makubex!"

The boy had his hands bound before him and looked terrified, but otherwise unhurt. Kouji held Makubex directly in front of him and had one massive, thickly-padded hand wrapped around the boy's neck.

Ginji regarded the scene before him silently but without surprise. He had a funny feeling when he heard that Kouji had asked for his help. The older man was very proud, and rivalled Shido in terms of independence. In the nearly two years they had known each other as fellow VOLTS members, Kouji never asked for anything, nor volunteered anything. He and his gang merely continued patrolling the area they had controlled in the pre-VOLTS era, keeping things in order. His alliance with VOLTS was born out of necessity, so it was a working relationship, but a steady relationship nonetheless. Before this, Ginji never saw any shows of camaraderie from Kouji, but never anything unfriendly, much less antagonistic. Kouji and his group had always been cordial and cooperative. Until now, that is.

What really bothered Ginji during the walk over to the east side was the timing of Kouji's request and the rash of coincidental happenings around Mugenjou. Emishi and Sakura were gone, tending the sick Loulan clan members. Masaki was helping clean up the mess from the mysterious fire from the day before. Shido was gone too, which wasn't too strange since the beastmaster was somewhat of a loner anyways. But Makubex rarely left his computers or the VOLTS's lair.

"I will make this simple," said Kouji. "I want you to step down as leader of VOLTS and leave Mugenjou."

Ginji regarded Kouji in stony silence. Makubex was staying perfectly still in Kouji's grasp, but his jaw was clenched tightly and his breathing was strained.

"Be careful, Ginji-san," said Kazuki. "Kouji-san can heat things by touching them, using his ki. He must have been the one who threw the exploding rock."

"That's right," said Kouji. "If I wanted to, I could boil Makubex's blood right here without moving a muscle, so I wouldn't make any sudden movements if I were you."

Makubex's eyes widened at that, but he kept perfectly still, eyes searching Ginji's face for answers.

"What's the meaning of this, Kouji? Why are you doing this?" asked Ginji.

"It's simple, really," replied Kouji. "I want you to step aside and leave Lower Town to me. If you don't, I will kill your friend here."

"I don't believe it. Please stop this insanity now, Kouji," said Ginji, hoping that what he was hearing wasn't true, but knowing that it was. If this was a joke of some sort, it wasn't very funny at all. And Makubex wouldn't have been involved.

"Believe it. This was set up from the beginning," Kouji said, not changing course. "I poisoned the Loulan clan, hoping to distract Emishi and Juubei, with his medicinal skills. That Sakura went to try to help them instead of Juubei actually worked out in my favor, since that left Makubex vulnerable. My men set those fires, hoping to keep Masaki busy and knowing that Shido would probably be there to have his animals help out with the recovery process. Unfortunately, Shido somehow heard that the fire was set deliberately and was going to investigate. My men and I had to move quickly to ambush him, and the whole plan was moved up to today so you wouldn't notice his absence. Everyone else is out patrolling various districts. Now it's just you and two followers. You are surrounded, and you can't attack me or you will hit Makubex as well. You are trapped, but," said Kouji, "I am offering you a way out. Leave Mugenjou and hand the leadership of VOLTS to me."

"But why, Kouji? Why are you doing this?" said Ginji.

One look at Makubex's terrified expression was enough to tell him that Kouji and his men were deadly serious. Still, it was hard for Ginji to give up his belief in his fellow VOLTS members. He wasn't so naive to believe that betrayal was impossible, but accepting that people he knew and cared about were capable of betraying him was difficult, especially when the whole scene seemed surreal and he didn't even know why it was happening.

"Why?" sneered Kouji. "Because you are unfit to lead VOLTS or Lower Town."

"What are you talking about?" said Kazuki angrily stepping forward, and even Juubei, who wasn't one for talking much, looked like he wanted to say something. "Lower Town has never been more peaceful."

"I'm talking about how the Thunder Emperor is reckless and out of control," countered Kouji. He turned back to Ginji, watching him as he counted off each accusation. "He destroys streets and buildings in fits of rage, and we are the ones who have to clean up the mess afterwards. How much damage has he caused since he's been in control? How many innocent bystanders have had their homes destroyed because of his recklessness? How many people have been injured for not getting out of the way in time?"

Ginji was quiet.

"But you're wrong. Ginji-san doesn't do it on purpose," said Kazuki.

"That's exactly my point. He doesn't do it on purpose and yet it still happens because he can't control his power. If he can't control himself, how can we let him control all of Lower Town?"

"But-"

"Kazuki-san, even you have to admit that Ginji cannot fully control his power or his rage. He already knows this himself," said Kouji.

Kazuki fell silent, scowling. Ginji was doing nothing to defend himself against these accusations, and the threadmaster could tell by the heaviness in his stance that he felt the truth in these words.

"Furthermore," said Kouji, gaining momentum, "Ginji is mentally weak. He is too naive and his trusting nature leaves him open to attack. He didn't even see this coming. And we all know how limited his intelligence is. He is just a kid, trying to play adult games, and he has been out-smarted and out-maneuvered."

Ginji felt the impact of each argument and felt heavier and heavier under Kouji's verbal barrage. He knew that these things, too, were true in some ways.

"You don't have the strength to do what is necessary," said Kouji, addressing Ginji directly now. He had the upper hand and so he went in for the kill, knowing that he was right and that Ginji could say nothing in his own defense. "Will you forfeit Makubex's life to hold on to your precious status, or will you acknowledge that you've lost and step aside?"

Kazuki turned to Ginji, his expression tense. Juubei stood there impassively. They both knew that Ginji would do anything to save his friends, but would that include handing Lower Town over to Kouji?

"I'm sorry," said Ginji. Kazuki's breath caught in his throat. Was it possible? Would he...

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave even if I wanted to," said Ginji sadly, turning to face Kouji. "If I left, Lower Town would fall into chaos, and I can't sacrifice the happiness of so many people."

Kouji snorted and scowled. "This is why I despise you. You're so self-centered and arrogant, thinking that because the VOLTS follow you, Lower Town revolves around you. But the residents don't follow you, or they do so only because they need you for protection. They don't do it willingly and they don't do it because they love or respect you. They follow you because they need you and they are afraid of crossing you."

"No, that's not true," said Ginji, quietly. He knew that it was untrue, but a small part of his mind made him doubt himself.

"They respect you because they have no other choice," continued Kouji. "You rule Lower Town as a dictator and you tolerate no dissent. All the old gangs who didn't merge with VOLTS were destroyed. That's not choice, that's force."

"I did what I had to do to attain peace and order," said Ginji, but even that sounded a little hollow.

"Yes, you did it through violence and force. No one opposes you because they're too scared to. But I'm not," said Kouji. "You know that all of my accusations are true, I can see it in your eyes. You are unfit to lead VOLTS. I am smarter than you, I'm older, and I've experienced more than you. Hand over the leadership to me and leave Mugenjou, or I will kill Makubex."

"Leave him out of this, Kouji," said Ginji, strength returning to his voice. No matter what, even if Kouji's accusations were true, he couldn't let his friend get hurt. "He doesn't have anything to do with this."

"That doesn't matter. Do what I say, or he dies," said Kouji, tightening his grip on the boy's neck.

"But you are comrades, brothers even, in VOLTS. How can you do this to him?" said Ginji, pressing him.

"We were never friends. Our alliance with VOLTS was purely for survival. I was biding my time, and now that it's here, if I must sacrifice him for the sake of my goals, I will."

"Don't be so selfish!" cried Ginji angrily. "People aren't objects to be used for petty aims. Let him go."

"If I do, will you step down and leave?"

"No," said Ginji, his resolve hardening. "I refuse to sacrifice the safety of the residents OR Makubex."

"Then we have nothing to talk about," said Kouji, coldly. He nodded to his men. "Get them."

"No..." said Makubex, but his protest was cut by a squeeze of Kouji's hand on his throat.

Seiichi drew his sword and Kouji's men charged en masse. Ginji braced himself, but Kazuki put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let us take care of these traitors," he said, stepping forward.

"They are no match for us," said Juubei, drawing his needles.

Ginji nodded his assent, and stayed where he was, watching Kouji and Makubex closely.

With a cry, Kazuki and Juubei met the charging gang members head on. Juubei easily dispacthed men left and right, his needles flying through the air and embedding themselves in key pressure points. The targets yelled and dropped like dumb beasts, their muscles paralyzed. Kazuki sliced his way through the crowd, heading for Seiichi, the leader, who stood outside the fray.

Kazuki shot out his threads, trying to trap the swordsman. Seiichi parried the attack and closed in for a counterattack, sword at his side. His speed was admirable, but not amazing. Anyone other than one of the Four Kings would've been hard pressed to escape him, but Kazuki threw up a shield and ducked behind him. There followed a furious series of moves and countermoves, an intricate and deadly dance. Kazuki unleashed attack after attack, driving the swordsman back. Seiichi was losing, but always just as he was about to be defeated, one of his men would throw themselves in the way or try to attack Kazuki from behind. Kazuki growled in frustration and anger, and ducked out of the way as Seiichi's sword burst through his own man's chest, barely escaping being stabbed through the heart. Juubei covered Kazuki as best he could while cleaning up the rest of the men, but there was enough distraction to prevent Kazuki from finishing the swordsman.

"Your strings won't work on me," said Seiichi, panting. "I don't care what the stories about your legendary fighting abilities are, Kazuki of the Thread, you won't get past me." He braced himself for the next onslaught.

"Hmph," said Kazuki, launching another attack, "your confidence is admirable, but ill placed. My strings can be soft as silk, but they can also be hard as steel. Give up now. You are no match for me."

Seiichi dodged past the attack and ran forward, sword out, ready to skewer Kazuki.

Unfortunately for him, Kazuki had read his move already and had set his trap. As the swordsman swung, he cut through the trigger thread, the trap snapped shut, and he was caught in the threads, dangling a foot off the ground, the threads forced him to turn his own sword at his own throat.

"Drop your weapon," said Kazuki, landing neatly beside the caught man.

"Heh," said Seiichi, smiling wryly. "I guess I lost."

Kazuki didn't like the look on his face.

"Kouji-san," called out Seiichi, "I am sorry, but I have failed you." He had a crazed look in his eyes.

"Seiichi-san, what are you-"

Kazuki didn't finish his question as the swordsman threw his body forward with all his force, fighting against the strings, as he strained back with his sword hand, neatly cutting his own throat. Kazuki barely avoided getting drenched with blood as the man severed his own artery.

"Seiichi-san!" But Kazuki saw that it was no use. The blood sprayed everywhere, but quickly died down to a trickle and pooled in the dirt. Seiichi was dead.

Juubei turned at Kazuki's shout, dropping the unconscious gang member in his hands, the last of Kouji's men, and saw Kazuki standing there, with blood sprayed on his clothes. He ran over, but pulled up short when he realized that Kazuki was unhurt and that all of the blood belonged to the dead man still hanging from the threads. It was grotesque, the way the blood dripped from the open throat of the limp form. Kazuki looked grieved.

"He didn't have to kill himself," he said, quietly. Carefully, he undid his strings and lowered Seiichi to the ground.

"No, but he wanted to," said Kouji, who had watched the whole scene, his face impassive. "He did what he felt was honorable."

Makubex looked stricken.

Ginji, who had also witnessed everything, was seething. His gaze bored into the two figures before him.

"Why did you do that!" he shouted at Kouji. "You knew they were no match for us, and yet you commanded them to attack us anyways."

"To show you how much they loved me, that they would die for me," answered Kouji. "They believed in me and were willing to sacrifice themselves for me because I am a true leader. They knew that I could lead the VOLTS."

Ginji was quiet, his fists clenched so tightly that his arms shook. Kazuki and Juubei were worried that Kouji would push Ginji over the edge, and that the Raitei was starting to take over. A quiet and angry Ginji was never a good sign.

"I see the real you," said Ginji in a low voice, looking Kouji directly in the eyes. "You hide your ambition and selfishness behind excuses and accusations. You don't want to lead VOLTS because you think I'm incompetent. You want to lead VOLTS because you are greedy for power and respect."

Kouji flinched at his words, then scowled at himself for showing how the words affected him.

"Shut up," he growled, tightening his hold on Makubex. "What would you know about earning power and respect? Everyone automatically loves you. You didn't earn their love or respect and you certainly didn't earn your powers as the Raitei. You had all that dropped in your lap."

Ginji narrowed his eyes, but did not respond.

"Oh yes, I did my research," continued Kouji. "I know that your powers just emerged randomly one day, and that you never had to do anything to gain them, whereas I had to earn everything I got. I trained for years to reach this level of ki, where I can heat anything at a touch and cause it to spontaneously combust. I sacrificed everything to become strong and have gained nothing, not even a place as one of your Four Kings. You have sacrificed nothing and yet you have everything: the respect of the Four Kings, the love of the residents, and the power to do whatever you want."

"Do you really think so?" asked Ginji, coldly. "You really think that I have sacrificed nothing and gained everything?"

Kouji didn't back down.

"I pity you, then," said Ginji, "because you don't understand anything. What you seek is the promise of power, but that is an empty promise. Attaining power is a fool's dream, a mirage. Power is nothing. You think that I have not sacrificed; you don't know what sacrifice is. It is when you give up something of yourself for the sake of others. You have sacrificed others for your own sake. Seiichi is dead because of you. That isn't sacrifice, that is selfishness, and I will not tolerate it."

Ginji's voice was dangerously low, and Kazuki shuddered at the coldness in Ginji's expression. Clouds were coming in from the east, the air was thick with tension, and Kazuki sensed the approach of lightning. We are getting into dangerous territory here, thought the threadmaster.

"Let Makubex go," said Ginji. It wasn't a request.

"No," said Kouji stubbornly. "I refuse to take orders from a 16-year-old brat. Kazuki-san," he said, turning to the man who controlled the strings. "Surely you'd understand. You used to be magnificent. You were the feared leader of Fuuga, and the deadly elegance of the Fuuchoin style caused your name to be whispered with reverence by all. Do you not resent being controlled by a throw-away junkyard kid? A street urchin who has no legacy? You can reclaim your former power and glory if you join me in throwing out this common mongrel."

Kazuki glared at Kouji. "You have it wrong, Kouji-san. I hated being the ruthless leader of Fuuga. I only did it to survive and protect the ones I love. Ginji-san showed me another way. He showed me that I didn't have to shoulder the burden of leadership alone. Give it up, Kouji-san. Seiichi-san's blood is on your hands and your followers are all dead or unconscious. You're done for. Let Makubex go."

Kouji smiled grimly. "I'm disappointed in you, Kazuki-san. I thought you of all people would understand the frustration of following someone who is unworthy of your loyalty. That is why I asked you to bring Ginji here. I don't care what you say, though, I refuse to back down. I don't care that all of my followers are injured or dead; I will get new followers once Ginji steps down. Seiichi gave his life willingly for me. A true leader knows when to let others sacrifice themselves for the cause."

"No," said Ginji, his gaze boring ever deeper into Kouji. "A true leader knows when the cost of the sacrifice is too high. He won't throw the lives of his friends away for nothing, especially something as petty as power. You don't understand the value of a friend's life, and for that reason, I cannot let you lead VOLTS or rule Lower Town. Step down, Kouji, and let Makubex go. This is between you and me."

"No," said Kouji, drawing Makubex even closer to him, using him as a shield. "I'm not so stupid as to fight you head-on, since our fight would destroy half of Lower Town and I'm not guaranteed a win. Keep in mind that this place, with all of the debris lying around, is a perfect battleground for me. I can turn anything I touch into a sizzling projectile that will burn a hole right through you. You'll have to play on my terms: choose your own selfish hold on power, or Makubex's life. Which will it be?"

"You can't win this way, Kouji," said Ginji, dangerously.

A spark flared out from Ginji's body and licked the ground. Ginji's hair was buffeted softly by the static electricity, and his skin was taking on a dangerous luminescence.

Kazuki recognized the signs and stepped back. He looked worriedly at Juubei, but so long as Kouji refused to back down or release Makubex, there was nothing either one of them could do.

"You're wrong," pressed Kouji, recklessly. "Either way, I win. If you choose Makubex's life, you'll have to leave Mugenjou. I know you. Your sense of honor will prevent you from going back on your word. If you choose to stubbornly retain your hold on VOLTS, no one will be willing to follow someone who abandons his friend or is too weak to defend him. You think you know me, but I know you too. You don't have the guts or strength to make this type of decision because either choice will cost you too much. You are trapped, and you can't attack me or else you'll hit Makubex too. You don't have the conviction to sacrifice yourself OR Makubex. That's why you should step down and hand your place to me."

The sparks of electricity dancing around Ginji's body increased as he listened to Kouji's argument. The air was still, like the calm before the storm. Kazuki and Juubei held their breaths.

"No, I refuse to decide," said Ginji. "You can't make me choose."

"Fine. I had hoped to avoid this, but you leave me no choice," said Kouji, finally. Keeping hold of Makubex with one hand, he covered the boy's eyes with the other. "If you refuse to choose, then I will make you. You have ten seconds to decide before I burn this boy's eyes out with my ki. Next I will take his precious hands that he uses to type with, and then I'll take his life. You have ten seconds. Ten...nine..."

"Ginji-san!" said Kazuki, his heart jumping to his throat. Vision was everything to Makubex. How could he use his computers if he couldn't see?

Juubei moved to draw his needles, but Kouji saw the movement and shook Makubex threateningly. Makubex tried to wriggle away, but Kouji held him firmly by the throat.

"...eight..."

The clouds moved in and covered up the sky.

Makubex kicked at Kouji blindly, but his short legs couldn't reach back far enough, and he was off balance. He gasped for air as Kouji's hand tightened. His bound hands were useless in freeing his eyes. Panic set in when he realized there was no escape.

"Ginji-san!" cried out Makubex, desperately.

The wind howled, and thunder boomed in the distance. Mugenjou was dark.

"...seven..."

Kazuki tensed and steadied himself for the outcome. _This is it_. The pressure was unbelievable.

"...six..."

Juubei moved in front of Kazuki defensively, ready.

"...five..."

Lightning crashed overhead, throwing everything into stark contrast: Kouji and Makubex, Kazuki and Juubei. Ginji glowed with an eerie light.

"...four..."

"I'm sorry, Makubex," said Ginji, his voice distant as the stars. He could not look at the boy.

"Ginji-san..."

"...three..."

Ginji shut his eyes.

Makubex fell silent. He set his jaw and braced himself for what was to come.

"...two..."

When Ginji opened his eyes again, Kazuki gasped. His eyes were terrible. They were as unfathomable and forbidding as an abyss, as cold and black as the depths of space. They were the eyes of an angry god, and they contained no mercy.

"...one..."

_He's here_, thought Kazuki wildly, but the thought was burned away by a blinding flash of light. _The Raitei is here_.

* * *

**Endnote**: Whew! That was fun, hehe. To be finished next chapter. What do you think is going to happen? Please review! 

**Question**: Ginji's eyes are brown, right? Are they still brown when he goes Raitei?

**Question #2**: What's the story with the Miroku brothers? I hear that the anime leaves out a lot. Have plot bunny for drabble, but need more info, especially on their relationship to Ginji in Venus de Milo arc. Anyone know where I can find out more specifics?


	5. Perspectives, or The Downward Spiral

**A/N**: Urk... noticed that Ginji's personality is rather flat in the previous chapter. Gomen...I guess you can blame it on Raitei, whose emotions tend to range from pissed to super pissed. Still working on that. Anyways, moving on, this is a little interlude until I can work out the logistics of the ending. It was supposed to be the first half of the ending, but I thought it'd be better as a stand-alone. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

**REVISED 4/9/05:** Thanks to Zining for pointing out a big plot hole. Hopefully patched now.

**evrouw**: Yay, that was exactly the point of starting out these two chapters with the same line. Ginji and Raitei are very different, so they react to their environment and their environment reacts to them in very different ways. Comparing this was actually my original idea, before it grew into this multi-part ficlet.

**Zining**:Ehhh...when I said I hope he isn't a typical baddie, I meant I hope he doesn't come off as inhuman and unsympathetic. Was aiming for someone who seemed reasonable, if a little foolhardy, and someone whose human faults (jealousy, envy, bitterness) led to his reckless behavior. Guess I'll just have to work harder on that. ;) Thanks for the review! It really made me think and push my writing skills further. Hopefully he's more sympathetic in the next chapter.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed and answered my questions!

**Disclaimer**: Getbackers is not mine.

* * *

Ginji was falling. With every second that went by, he felt himself falling a little further, spiraling out of control. The winds rushed past him, brushing his sides and licking his skin. All was dark around him, save for the distant pinpricks of light. Ginji squinted at them. Stars? Yes, maybe a constellation. He heard in his mind Teshimine-san's voice, pointing to the various star arrangements in the sky on a rare, clear night that seemed so long ago.

_And this one is of the hunter, who the gods honored by immortalizing in the sky. And that one there is of the Serpent Bearer…_

_And that one, Teshimine-san?_

_That one is Draco, the Dragon. He is the guardian of the north, and he watches everything from above. Some constellations are visible only at certain times of the year, but he is always there. If you are ever lost, Ginji, just look for him, and he'll be there._

The vortex was silent, but the roar of the whipping wind was deafening. Only in the far distance, somewhere far above or far outside where he was, could he hear a voice slowly counting down.

"…seven…six…"

Somewhere in the rippling darkness around him, he knew that _he_ was waiting. Since that gray day a few years ago—an eternity ago—he had always been waiting on the dark edges of Ginji's consciousness, and he would always be there, the eternal guardian poised for the moment. And when the moment comes, just as Ginji was about to be crushed by the world around him, when Ginji feared that all was lost and he would never find all the pieces again, he would burst through the barrier and pour into the world. His wrath would sweep away everything in his path and his lightning would burn away anything that threatened what was _his_.

And now the barrier was breaking once again.

"…five…four…"

Ginji couldn't hold back the flood much longer. The blackness seeped through the cracks and spilled over his mind. He was going to drown.

"I'm sorry, Makubex." He heard his own voice echo in the distance.

_I can't do what I'm about to do. I can't watch. I'm sorry, Makubex, but I …._

"…three…two…"

_I…._

It broke—the dam broke. His heart broke. The blackness rushed in and blotted out all thought. Ginji closed his eyes and let the darkness take him….

On the street, among the ruined warehouses and the last rays of the dying sun, a god awoke and opened his dragon eyes.

* * *

"...You have ten seconds. Ten...nine..."

_No! Don't, please! _

The world was black. Makubex couldn't even tell if his eyes were open or closed under Kouji's hand. His entire world was reduced to the vice-like grip around his neck and the wild beating of his heart in his ears, counting down. If it continued beating this way, he was sure that his ear drums would explode.

Ba-doom...ba-doom...

A voice cut through the drumming.

"Ginji-san!"

_Kazuki-san! Help me! Please don't let him do this!_

As if sensing his hope, Kouji shook the boy roughly. His bones jarred and he felt his brain rattling in his head. _Argh! Stop it, you bastard!_ The blackness spun and his legs wobbled, but he couldn't fall or sit, the grip on his neck gave no slack. _Let go! or I...I'll..._

"...eight..."

_No! I won't let you do this to me, you bastard._

Makubex brought his foot up and lashed back, aiming for the shin. Kouji saw it and moved his leg out of the way. Makubex found himself flailing uselessly with his foot. Desperately, he tried again, but this time Kouji cut him off by increasing the pressure around his throat until the boy gagged and saw stars burst in the blackness. Unable to breathe, the world again tilting and spinning like a crazy top, he struggled uselessly, like a fish caught in a net, mouth open, gasping for air, until suddenly the pressure lightened and he sucked in the air greedily. It tasted like rain and stunk of sweat.

It was useless, he knew. There was no way he could escape on his own. His fate was completely in the hands of this monster, and yet...

_Someone...help me..._

"Ginji-san!" he cried out.

_Ginji-san, hurry please! I know you will save me, I have faith in you, but hurry!_

"...seven..."

_Hurry!_

"...six..."

Kouji's hand covering his eyes was starting to get warmer.

_Oh God, please hurry! Where are you Ginji-san! Why won't you answer me!_

"...five..."

_Say something, Ginji-san! Don't leave me!_

"...four..."

_GINJI-SAN!_

Makubex panted with the effort to stay quiet. The situation was so tense that any sudden movement or noise might set off the attack. It was all he could do not to call for Ginji again, but the silence, the lack of Ginji's reply, was unbearable. Surely Ginji wouldn't abandon him. No, not Ginji. Ginji would never leave him. Ever.

_But why hasn't he answered me?_

The reply, when it came, froze the blood in Makubex's veins and reduced everything to a terrible silence.

"I'm sorry, Makubex."

_No..._

"Ginji-san..."

That couldn't be Ginji's voice. It sounded like Ginji's voice, but the tone…the tone was as distant as the dead, as untouchable as steel.

"...three..."

Makubex's heart caught in his throat. For a moment, he panicked. He tried to reach out to Ginji's warmth, his sweet smile and kind gestures. He wanted to scream and call him back, but he knew the gap between them was too vast already. They were on opposite sides of an immense abyss. The darkness between them was deep and unfathomable, and Makubex felt Ginji slipping further and further away.

_Ginji-san! What are you saying?_

The words didn't sound like an apology; they sounded like a farewell.

No…it couldn't be. His mind was racing, going through all the possible outcomes, discarding some as unlikely, calculating others to their conclusions. The possibilities were not good. Makubex wanted to shake his head, shake the thought right out of his mind, but the calculations he had just come up with….

_Ginji could sacrifice one friend, or sacrifice all of Lower Town. Or…._

_Or he could go on the offensive and hit Kouji with his lightning._

Of course, this meant that Makubex would be hit also. Makubex estimated that Kouji outweighed him three to one. Kouji was very large for a man, and Makubex was very delicate for a boy. Taking the mass differentials and other variables into consideration, the amount of electricity in kilowatts per second required would be….

In a split second, Makubex found the answer. He knew what was going to happen. His calculations were never wrong. The only variable now was how careful Ginji was, and if he had the heart to carry it through.

"...two..."

There was no time left for hope, only faith.

Makubex knew what he had to do, then, and steadied his nerves for it. His face became a mask of grim determination. Ginji was going to do his part. Makubex had to do his.

_I won't die. I can't, for Ginji-san's sake._

He knew that if he died by Ginji's hand, Ginji would never forgive himself. He shuddered to think what would happen to Ginji—and Lower Town—then.

"...one..."

Makubex braced himself and closed his eyes. It didn't matter because of Kouji's hand, but he did it anyways. He took a deep breath and held it.

_Raitei Amano Ginji. You have always protected me, ever since the day we met. Now, I place my life in your hands. Do what you have to. I have faith in you._

When the shock came, his vision filled with a pure white, a blinding white, and even though his eyes were closed and he bit down against the pull of it, the spot of blackness in the center grew and grew and reached out tendril upon tendril until it gripped him and swallowed him whole.

* * *

**Endnote: **to be continued. Not a lot of action (none, physically actually), but you get the last scene from two POVs. Let me know what you think. 


	6. The Past is the Present

**A/N**: This is the first half (one-third, really) of what was supposed to be a big climactic chapter (the outline alone was like 4 pages). Ugh, am totally butchering the pacing and momentum by posting only first part now, but oh well. If you don't want it butchered, don't read this chapter until next one comes out (ETA: 2 weeks). Am posting first part now because I always hated when authors left me hanging for weeks and weeks. Hopefully this will tide you over, those of you still following this fic. Thanks!

**Atropos' Knife**: yes, that was exactly the irony I was aiming for. Glad you saw it. There's supposed to be a fair amount of dramatic irony, but I'm never sure if people pick up on it, but at the same time, it's no good if I bash the reader over the head with it. Will continue working on it.

**bc**: The second half was all from Makubex's POV.

**Zining**: Thanks for the review. Have fixed the chapter now, and the typo.

**Rabid Lola**: Yeah, I get what you're saying because that was exactly what I was trying to say with that section. However, Makubex is a little younger in this fic (see LJ post for character ages). Actually, all my characters sound way too old. Ginji definitely doesn't sound 15. Oops.

**Magicalfoci**: Yes, Ginji is very interesting. I'm a little obsessed with him, if you can't tell. ; )

**Disclaimer**: Sigh. Still don't own GetBackers. I'd settle for just owning Ginji, but nope, no such luck.

* * *

**The Past is the Present**

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre  
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;  
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;  
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,  
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere  
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;  
The best lack all convictions, while the worst  
Are full of passionate intensity."

--from "The Second Coming," W.B. Yeats

"…one."

It was eternity in a split second. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion even though they all moved at once. Kazuki reached for his threads, Juubei for his needles. Ginji, eyes narrowed like an eagle's, the king of all birds of prey, raised his hand and aimed for the heart. Makubex gritted his teeth. Kouji crouched, bracing himself, waiting for the—

BOOM. It came. All hell broke loose.

Ginji completed the circuit, and a bolt of lightning shot from his hand, aimed straight at Kouji and Makubex. Kouji, having anticipated the move from Makubex's sudden quietness, jumped out of the way just in time, but Makubex, hands bound before him, held in place by Kouji's massive hands until the half-moment before, had no chance to react. The lightning struck him full force in the chest, slammed his small body back with the force of nature's most destructive power. He didn't even cry out, couldn't even gasp as he took the hit, as he was flung off his feet—all the wind was knocked out of him by the blow. His muscles jerked and released, and oh, it burned. Everything burned bright white and his vision was all white, until, falling down, down, his body limp as a dying leaf fallen from a tree, he gave himself over to the darkness and the oblivion.

"MAKUBEX!"

Kazuki flew into action and shot out string upon string, a white silken net to catch a falling king. Makubex's body never had the chance to hit the ground. With an expert tug, Kazuki swung his net and the boy over to the side, out of the path of the Raitei and Kouji, and brought the boy to rest in the shelter of a ruined wall. He and Juubei rushed over, and Kazuki undid his strings immediately, almost frantically. Juubei cleared a spot in the rubble, laid the boy down gently, and began work without delay, checking the boy's vital signs.

"Juubei, how is he? Is he…." Kazuki was afraid to ask. Makubex was so still and so pale. He looked so small, it was hard to believe that this was one of the Four Kings, someone so young and so delicate. How did he ever withstand all the weight? How did any of them?

"He's not breathing and his heart is erratic," replied Juubei, his hands working over the boy. "I will try to stabilize him for now, but we need to get him somewhere safe. And soon."

An explosion sounded to their right. The wall behind them shook. The battle between Ginji and Kouji was still going on.

"I understand," said Kazuki, as he deflected falling chunks of brick with his strings.

They couldn't abandon their emperor here, even with Makubex in that condition. It would be Kazuki's duty to protect them from any stray blows or debris that flew their way from the battle royale in the street. Juubei worked quickly and silently, not even looking up when an explosion hit close enough that the ground beneath his feet shook. He knew that Kazuki would protect them. Kazuki knew that Juubei would save Makubex. This was how it had always been: each man did his duty and trusted the other to do his.

On the darker side, Kazuki knew, watching the battle rage, that he couldn't leave because in the off chance that Ginji was seriously injured or defeated, he would have to finish the job. Being one of the Four Kings meant upholding the power of VOLTS against all attackers, whether they were from the Beltline above or from within. Ginji was the central pillar that supported VOLTS and all of Lower Town, and if he fell, Kazuki had to be there to catch him and finish the job, or else everything would crumble around them. And if he himself fell, then Juubei would be there to finish it. The structure was simple, and in this simplicity was the beauty of VOLTS: one following the other, one supporting the other, this line of power and succession that upheld all of Lower Town. And they all knew what the stakes were. If Kouji was allowed to escape, then other former leaders of junkyard gangs, who either joined under Ginji or stepped aside and made way for VOLTS, might attempt to seize power for themselves. Lower Town would descend into chaos and the warring era would be reborn in the struggle for power. In Mugenjou, the smell of weakness traveled fast, and the sleeping powers came like sharks called by the promise of blood. This, too, was how it had always been.

Kazuki watched the battle warily, strings at the ready. He could hear Juubei at work behind him, distantly, but his mind was focused on the battle before him. Explosions and lightning burst here and there. The buildings around them shook and reeled under the blows. The ground trembled and cracked. Fortunately, the battle seemed like it was moving away from their position. Kouji was being driven further and further down the street, clearly on the defensive, but fighting back tenaciously. Still, there was little doubt who would win this fight. Kouji was formidable—he had to be, in order to survive, much less lead his own gang, in the pre-VOLTS era—but no one can match the Raitei. The result had already been determined, and only Kouji seemed unaware of this grim fact.

Kazuki watched as the fight moved further away, his face showing no emotion, but inside, he felt a heaviness and the soft brush of memories.

* * *

A year ago perhaps, on a night not too different from this, the temperature mild for late autumn, Kazuki happened to see Seiichi sitting alone on the worn steps of a building, shaded from the last rays of the setting sun, smoking a cigarette and staring into the far distance, even though the street was narrow and the buildings crowded in on the people. The man drew lazily, unthinkingly from the glowing cigarette, the motion and routine more a comfort than the nicotine. A few people passed quietly before him on the street, but this was no busy main thoroughfare. It was a side street, a small shaded vein in southeastern Lower Town.

Kazuki thought it odd to find the man alone. He was usually seen only in the company of Suzuki Kouji, his boss. But then again, thought the Threadmaster, Juubei wasn't with him either, so maybe it wasn't so unusual. Each person had a right to his own time, after all, and they were all capable of watching out for themselves.

He approached the man slowly, letting his shoes scuffle a little in the dirt so as not to surprise the man. Seiichi looked up at the noise, saw that it was the young Fuuchoin heir, and gave him a polite, familiar nod. Kazuki walked up to Seiichi, who scooted over a bit but continued smoking and staring at nothing in particular, clearly with something on his mind that he may or may not have wanted to share. Kazuki took his gesture as an invitation to accompany him, but not necessarily share in his thoughts. He sat down gracefully beside the man.

The silence between them was long, but not uncomfortable. Seiichi eventually finished his cigarette and casually flicked the butt off to the side. He exhaled, letting the last of the smoky flavor leave him, and then was still. Kazuki waited patiently for him to make the next move.

After another moment of silence, Seiichi finally began to speak.

"You know," he said, "I sometimes wonder why you and I never really talked before. We're not all that much different, you and I, Fuuchoin-san. I think that, given a chance, we could've been friends."

"Call me Kazuki," replied the Threadmaster. "If we aren't friends, then this would be a good first step."

The older man smiled. It was odd speaking to someone much younger than himself about friendship and then being given permission to call him by his name. Then again, the youth beside him outranked him within VOLTS, so it was his prerogative to demand respect. It was only right that he reply in kind.

"Then you can call me Seiichi, instead of Matsuo-san."

"Well, then, Seiichi-san, why do you say that we're alike and yet we can't be friends?"

Seiichi paused, thinking.

"How old are you, Kazuki-san?"

"Sixteen," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that I remember when I was your age, I thought that anyone could be my friend if they were willing and if I was willing to try. We didn't even have to have much in common, just the willingness to reach out and get to know someone. But now I'm nearly ten years older than you, and I've come to see that not everything is so simple. Sometimes, outer circumstances will prevent even the simplest kind of connection."

Kazuki thought about this, turning it over in his mind. He knew that he wasn't as naïve now as Seiichi had been at sixteen, but just the tone of Seiichi's voice made him feel like something was lost. Just the matter-of-fact way he spoke about such things, casually dismissing the opportunity as if it wasn't a big loss, this ability to have real human contact, made Kazuki think that Seiichi had come to accept or resign himself to more than he should have.

"But there's nothing to stop us from establishing a friendship. You said so yourself that we have a lot in common, and we are both members of VOLTS. We have the same goals and the same people surrounding us, so why do you dismiss the chance from the beginning?"

_Why are you so cynical and resigned?_, Kazuki wanted to ask, but that wasn't something he could say to a person who wasn't even his friend, who was merely an acquaintance.

Seiichi shrugged.

"What I meant was that you and I are in the same position. We are both followers of a greater man—I have Suzuki Kouji and you have Amano Ginji. So you and I should be able to understand each other easily, since we are both subordinates by choice and I think we both made our choice for the same reason. Our leaders are both people we admire, people we respect and love. We've put our hopes and faith into them and we've decided to tie our fates to theirs. And we take pride in our position, you and me," he said, gesturing towards Kazuki. "We commit ourselves completely to our leaders and to their cause, give everything we have to them so that their success becomes our success, their goals our goals, and their glory our glory. And we don't do this because we're incapable of being leaders ourselves, you see, but because we choose to follow someone special. We choose to watch over this person, to protect him and help him achieve his goals. We might be bowed in service, but we are not lowly servants. There is honor and power in our position."

Kazuki nodded. Everything Seiichi said about himself and about Kazuki was true. He remembered trying to explain to Toshiki why he had decided to disband Fuuga and join with Amano Ginji. Toshiki had railed at him bitterly, calling him weak for assuming a subordinate position when he was the widely respected leader of Fuuga. Juubei, though, had understood the intoxicating freedom of casting your fate with someone else's, the release of giving up complete control of your destiny to someone whose personal charisma and unfailing strength demanded loyalty and respect and love. He had understood the personal power that comes from upholding someone you loved. Kazuki knew where he belonged, knew what and who he believed in, and he drew strength from his conviction.

"Everything you've said is exactly how I feel too, Seiichi-san, so what's to stop us from turning mutual understanding into friendship? Isn't this the basis for all friendships?" he asked.

Seiichi sighed. Kazuki was right of course. But still….

"Like I said, sometimes outer circumstances get in the way," he replied. "You and me, for example, may understand each other clearly and be in the same position, but our _circumstances_ aren't the same. When a leader fails, it is doubly painful for those who follow him. For we who choose to follow, their failure is our failure, and our failure to help them is also ours. And so because your leader has succeeded where mine has failed, we are not on the same level, Kazuki-san. We have the same position, but not the same level, and so you will never be able to really understand me, and I won't ever really understand you. The gap is too wide, so any friendship would be futile."

"But Suzuki-san isn't a failure. I don't know him well, but if he was able to gain your support and loyalty, then that must mean something, right?"

"Ah," nodded Seiichi. "Kouji-san and I go far back, and I have never met anyone quite like him. He is…how should I say? He is a man torn by many passions and many desires. He is one of those fires that burn so bright that I'm afraid that he won't burn long. I've already decided to follow him wherever his path leads me, but sometimes I worry that he himself is so troubled by his passions and desires that he might lose his way. But that's what I'm here for, I guess, to make sure that he doesn't, to remind him that more than his fate rests on his shoulders. He never takes his position lightly, but sometimes I…well, never mind. Maybe now isn't the time to talk about him. My point is that within the VOLTS hierarchy, Kouji-san isn't on the same level as Ginji-san, so you and I aren't on the same level."

"But that shouldn't matter. You and I are in the same gang. We're equals in that sense, all of us—you, me, and Suzuki Kouji too—we all follow the same leader, Amano Ginji, don't we?"

Seiichi was silent. He felt the need for a cigarette return, even though he was out of them.

_We all follow the same leader, right?_

He shrugged and gave Kazuki a lazy smile. "Your idealism is admirable, Kazuki-san, but tell me, do you think you could ever understand your Raitei? Do you think you could ever truly understand Amano Ginji?"

Kazuki paused and wrinkled his brow. He hadn't really thought about this question before. He'd always assumed that he understood Ginji well. He certainly was one of Ginji's closest friends and they often confided their worries in each other, so that must mean that they understood each other. But was being friends with someone, close friends, necessarily the same as really knowing someone? Kazuki wondered. Could you be friends with someone, see someone every day for years and years, and never really understand them, never really know them? And when did it suddenly get so cold? he wondered. He noticed that the sun had almost completely set by now and wrapped his arms loosely around himself against the early evening air, and looked at the ground. Somehow, this question was hurting him, and this troubled him.

Seiichi watched the younger man's reaction with a small sense of satisfaction and also a faint sadness.

"I can see that you don't have an answer to that. Maybe you're unwilling to look for the answer. That's okay, you'll eventually learn that these things cannot be ignored. In the meantime, let me tell you this: what prevents you from answering is the same thing that prevents us from becoming friends. The gap between you and your leader is too wide for you to ever cross completely, just like the gap between you and me is too wide. The hierarchy demands this separation. All you can do is try to reach across and gain a mutual understanding, but know that it will be in vain. That's why I don't even try anymore, to save myself the loss. I hate to tell you this and ruin your grand illusions, but I think it is kinder to know the truth than to believe in things that will eventually crumble."

He rose to his feet and dusted off his pants.

"You know," he said, looking down at Kazuki, who was still seated and buried in his thoughts. "You know, you might still have a chance to prove me wrong. A lot can change in a year. Maybe the next time we meet, we will have closed the gap and then we could be friends. See you around, Kazuki-san," he said and waved farewell, and then walked away.

Kazuki sat thinking about all that Seiichi had said. A lot of what the man had said still bothered him. Was he right? Was he being overly optimistic in thinking that everyone was like brother and sister to each other in VOLTS? How would he know, if, as Seiichi said, it was impossible to understand those who didn't share your rank?

Kazuki sighed, and decided that these questions were best saved for another time, when he wasn't supposed to be out patrolling. He got to his feet and looked down the empty street. Seiichi was gone already. Kazuki decided to head back and find Juubei.

He only took a few steps before he paused though, struck by a sudden, odd thought. Kazuki realized that Seiichi never agreed that they all followed the same leader.

* * *

A year brings a lot of change, thought Kazuki sadly, listening to the explosions from the battle move further and further away. But then again, maybe nothing at all has changed. Maybe things have only played out the way they were meant to, inevitably.

* * *

**Endnote**: Raitei vs. Kouji, the big climax, next chapter, I promise.

Yes, Kazuki does the same thing in this story with Seiichi that he does with Ginji, sort of, in my other fic "Starry Night." For some reason, I see Kazuki as the type who would think about these big issues and want to talk to people about it. Shido is too much of a loner, Makubex is too young at this point, and Masaki I have no idea how to characterize (hence I cheaply and conveniently keep him out of the story…ehehehe…).


	7. Endgame, Part I

**A/N**: Sorry for the delay, but real life sucked me back into its clutches. Here's the first half of the ending, because who knows how long the second half is going to take. Much love and thanks to those who reviewed and those who emailed me, especially Zining and Rabid Lola. I hope this chapter works.

Italics are for characters' thoughts.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Getbackers.

* * *

**Endgame, part I**

_--For Icarus, who flew too close to the sun._

Kouji's heart was pounding in his chest, but he pretended not to hear it, or the rumbling of thunder close enough to make the hairs on his arms stand up. The last exchange had been a close one. He had thrown a huge boulder, which he had super-heated so that it would burst into multiple flaming rocks a second before impact, making it nearly impossible for any target to dodge. The rocks were hot enough to burn holes through a tree trunk, and the right-sized rock, thrown with enough force, could take off a limb. If he ran out of rocks, pebbles could be thrown like red-hot bullets, and a handful of them was usually more than enough to take down one man.

He listened carefully for movement, and then peeked over the edge of the half-wall to scan the street. It was empty, except for huge craters where the Thunder Emperor had stood only seconds before. Was it possible that his boulder attack had completely vaporized his enemy? Kouji doubted it. He must have somehow dodged his attack. But where was he? He couldn't have been hiding. Kouji was a veteran of many fierce battles, and he knew that these kinds of opponents weren't the type to hide. The slight twisting feeling in his gut told him that his opponent was probably much closer than he'd like, but peering up and down the street showed him no sign of Raitei. This fight was proving far more difficult than he had anticipated and he was forced into a sort of one-man guerilla war rather than open battle. His heart told him that he was being a coward for not facing his opponent man-to-man, but his mind knew that directly taking on the person who conquered most of Lower Town, including his own gang, in less than a year would be very, very stupid.

Kouji wasn't foolish enough or arrogant enough to assume that he would win, but because of _those three_, he had no choice but to keep going. He clenched his hands until his knuckles started turning white at the thought of those men whom he had been foolish enough to trust. When this was over, he would make sure to let those other gang leaders know exactly what the cost of betraying Suzuki Kouji was….

* * *

He was leaning his elbows on the balcony railing and gazing down into the dark alley far below, alone, when he heard the door open in the room behind him. Seiichi had returned, right on time. His vice commander, right hand man since forever and before, stopped at the threshold to the balcony and patiently waited for his presence to be acknowledged. Kouji could sense excitement, tempered by pride, determination, and solemn duty, coming from the man. Good. This meant that his men were successful.

Kouji let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and turned his attention back to the darkness beneath him, ignoring Seiichi for the moment. It was a nice night, quiet and peaceful, especially for Mugenjou, he thought. Well, quiet and peaceful here anyways. A large part of the western block was probably in complete chaos right now, what with the fire that his men had just set. He wished he could stay here, looking down on the side street below, with the cool night breeze playing gently against his face and Seiichi watching over him, waiting on him as always. It would calm the iron-edged butterflies in his stomach. He smiled grimly. Right now, leaning on the railing, he probably looked like a man wondering how high up he was and if he jumped, would he learn to fly in time. Of course, he would never jump, would never throw his life away to find out. Some things were worth the risk, and some things weren't.

Seiichi cleared his throat and stepped out onto the balcony. He stopped a respectful distance behind and to the side of Kouji. Kouji gave no sign, but Seiichi began anyways.

"The mission was completed as planned," he reported. "Two entire blocks. It will look like some vagrant's trash fire got out of hand and spread from building to building, since the streets are so narrow and everything is so close together. The clean-up should keep VOLTS busy for at least two days."

"Aa," said Kouji, without moving.

Seiichi threw a worried glance at the older man. Kouji had always been the serious type. He'd often disappear for days to meditate on a decision and train his ki, but he would return refreshed and clear of mind. Seiichi had always followed Kouji because he could trust in Kouji's decisions. Kouji always made the right decision because he was always calculating the options, like a chessmaster, thinking three moves ahead, looking for openings, taking advantage of others' mistakes. His decisions were sometimes ruthless, sometimes cruel, but that was how you had to survive in this demon's lair. You had to become a demon yourself. And Seiichi was forever indebted to Kouji for this—Kouji, who took all the responsibility for his choices onto his own shoulders, who became a demon for them, so that they could all stay untarnished, pure, clean of conscience. He was their savior. He was their covenant. He was their human sacrifice to Mugenjou.

_Sacrifice…. _The word echoed ominously in Seiichi's mind for a second. It made a slight chill run down his spine. But then he shook his head and remembered what he was here for.

"You are quiet, Kouji-san. Are you having second thoughts?" he asked, softly.

The other man turned his head and regarded his second-in-command. He saw the concerned look on Seiichi's face, and briefly wondered if his decision would be the death of this man. He felt the weight on his shoulders increase.

"No, I'm not having second thoughts, Seiichi," he said, sounding much older and wearier than Seiichi had ever noticed. "I just…." He stopped.

He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell Seiichi that everything felt wrong, that he couldn't sleep last night because his instincts told him that something had gone horribly wrong with the plan. He couldn't begin to explain why he felt this way. The VOLTS and the Thunder Emperor were supposed to be the ones sensing a trap closing in around them, but instead he felt as if he was the prey. Or rather, he felt like a hunter about to be caught in his own trap. Looking at Seiichi and seeing the blind faith and unquestioning loyalty in that man's face, though, Kouji knew that he had to keep his doubts to himself. He could never let his men see him waver.

Seiichi was looking at him worriedly, waiting for an answer, so Kouji sighed and said, "Don't worry, Seiichi. I was merely—"

"Seiichi-san! Seii—ah, excuse me, Kouji-san," said the man who had just run into the room. He came to an abrupt halt and gave a low bow. "Kouji-san, Seiichi-san, our scouts just told me that the Loulan clan hasn't been attacked yet and that the Silent River gang is nowhere to be found!"

_What?_ Kouji had to bite down hard, so hard that he might have cracked his teeth, to keep his expression neutral. He took a deep breath and willed the little doubts and fears that were trying to reach up and choke him to leave his mind. Now was not the time to jump to conclusions. He had to keep steady.

"Toshi," he said, as evenly as he could, to the scout leader, "where are Harada and Watsuki and their men?"

"Harada-san? He's…he's, uh…."

"When was the last time you or any of your men saw him?" asked Kouji, the feeling of dread increasing.

"I don't know, Kouji-san. A few days ago, maybe," said Toshi, nervously.

"Send your scouts out again and have them look for them," said Kouji. "Also, report on the status of the attacks on Shido and Masaki."

"Yes, Kouji-san, right away," said Toshi, who bowed low and then hurried away.

At this point, Kouji returned to his original position, leaning on the balcony railing with his chin propped on his hands, staring out into the night. Seiichi was still there, but was unsure if Kouji turning his back on him meant that he was also excused or if Kouji was just thinking of the next thing to say. His uncertainty kept him there, half turned towards the door, but unwilling to leave his leader like this. He knew Kouji, and he knew that the calm exterior was all an act for his sake and the sake of his men.

"I'm sure that Takani-san was just late in carrying out his part of the plan," he offered, but even he could hear the falseness in his voice.

No reaction. Not even a perfunctory "Aaa" to show that he had heard.

"Just because Toshi didn't know the whereabouts of the Watsuki-san's and Harada-san's gangs doesn't mean that they were unsuccessful with their parts of the plan. They could be in hiding, waiting for the next phase," he tried again.

Kouji still didn't answer. If anything, he seemed even more tense now. Maybe it was best if Seiichi just left. He felt useless standing around with nothing to do but talk nonsense.

Kouji, staring into the darkness, felt a million emotions and thoughts swirling through him. He wanted to find Takani now and wrap his hands around the bastard's throat. He was so angry that he was afraid he'd light something on fire, that the building would spontaneously combust around him. It wouldn't be the first time he inadvertently blew something up. That man, Takani, had always walked with a swagger, saying how his gang had only joined VOLTS to remove suspicion from themselves so that when the time was right, they could strike from the inside and claim Lower Town for themselves. Kouji almost snorted. Takani, he knew now, was all talk—a small dog that barked loudly. It made him sick to think that he trusted this coward.

It was Takani who had first approached Kouji with the plan two months ago. He had already talked to Harada and Watsuki by then, and had chosen Kouji's gang as the final member of the team. Kouji never talked to any of them much during the VOLTS reign, since most gangs—those that hadn't dispersed, that is—stayed in their own territory and left each other alone. There was no reason for them to work together, especially since Kouji's gang was based in the eastern end of Lower Town while Takani was in the west, Harada in the north, and Watsuki in the south. Kouji didn't like Takani much from before the VOLTS era, but their territories didn't overlap so there was no reason to fight the man. Still, he'd always been a little uneasy around Takani, so when he was approached with the plan, Kouji had moved forward cautiously. _Not cautiously enough, it seems_. Kouji realized now that he had not been afraid of Takani's or the Silent River gang's power, but the fact that the entire bunch gave him the impression of water with an oil-slicked surface so that the onlooker was taken in by the beautiful swirls of rainbow color on the surface without seeing what was hidden beneath.

_Shit_. He knew that Watsuki and Harada hadn't carried out their parts of the plan either. He didn't need to wait for Toshi to get back to him. Those men were all alike: they talked the talk, but when the time came for real action, they all scuttled for cover like cockroaches. He should've known. The uneasy feeling that his gut had been giving him for a while now, and which he tried to ignore, dismissing it as nervousness before the plan's execution, made sense to him now. He should've known that working with low-lifes was dangerous. Those men never changed. Once a coward, always a coward.

Kouji realized that he wasn't angry at Takani, Watsuki and Harada so much as himself. How could he have been so stupid as to let his personal issues blind him to what his co-conspirators were really like? Was he really so desperate for change that he went along with the first group to approach him with a plan? They had played him perfectly, had said all the things that he had been thinking himself for so long, had shown him how VOLTS could be toppled, and he had taken it all in and believed that it was all possible because he had wanted it to be possible. He had refused to believe that there wasn't anything he could do to turn his dream of a new Lower Town into a reality. And now the plan was in shambles. His dream, too. It was all his fault for not seeing those three for what they were.

_But wait a minute…._ Something was still not right. Something he had just thought had triggered an alarm in his brain. _What was it?_ He had a feeling that he was missing something very important, something that changed everything. Kouji reached back, strained to retrace his steps in his mind. His thoughts replayed themselves backwards … _not seeing those three for what they were…_ _working with low-lifes… what was hidden beneath… Takani, Watsuki and Harada... _

Takani, Watsuki and Harada.

They had approached him with the plan together.

Kouji concentrated. It was here. Yes, it was—

_They had played him perfectly._

_Was that it?_ Realization slowly crept over Kouji like frost. Yes, the phrase rang true to him. That's what had been bothering him all this time. They were too slick. They had said all the right things to make Kouji believe that the plan was right and that it was possible. It was as if they knew exactly which buttons to push to get him to follow their plan. They allayed his fears, dismissed his concerns, and played to his ego so that by the time he agreed to join in, he thought that with their strength combined, much less their numbers, they would be able to take over Lower Town. If nothing else, he should have noticed that the three of them worked together so well, a little too well. They were too smooth. They never bickered about anything amongst themselves like they should have, like the gang leaders they were. There was too much ego amongst the three of them for them NOT to fight about something, anything. But they never did.

Bits and pieces that seemed random before began falling into place now: Takani approaching him with Watsuki and Harada in tow. Takani telling him that they needed a fourth member to cover the eastern region. _But there aren't a lot of people in this region_. _All of the plan is executed in the other three. _Harada and Watsuki telling him that his gang was the most important part of the plan. _Yet they approached me last._ Their unwillingness to discuss how the four of them and their gangs would rule Lower Town together after the takeover, _as if they already knew how it would be divided and only I didn't_. Takani always waved Kouji's question off with "the people will decide."

It was all coming together in his mind, and it created a terrifyingly clear picture: _Takani, Watsuki and Harada had talked together long before they ever approached me. What if they had a plan that I didn't know about? On the night of the original plan's execution, they would all fail to carry out their parts and disappear, and I would be the only one who acts._

And that was exactly what had happened. He and his group were exposed now. It meant the end for him and his group. VOLTS would realize that they had a rebellion on their hands, and the Four Kings—including Shido and Masaki, who were supposed to be taken care of by Watsuki and Harada—would come to put it down. The Thunder Emperor himself might even come. The ensuing battle would be bloody and he would almost certainly lose all of his men plus his own life. VOLTS wouldn't escape without losses either, and that's when Takani, Watsuki and Harada would come in and deliver the death blow. They would suffer minimal losses, and the crumbling of the Four Kings and the Thunder Emperor would leave open seats at the top of Lower Town. It was perfect. It was so simple.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this._

It had been so much easier to think that his co-conspirators were cowards than to think that he had been the sacrificial lamb from the beginning. It was easier to be play the tragic hero than the fool.

And now there was nothing Kouji could do. The wheels were already set in motion, by his own hand no less. He was completely trapped.

_Checkmate._

His men had already acted, and the chances of finding Takani, Watsuki or Harada were slim. Even if he did, it would be his word against theirs, and they weren't the ones who had burned parts of Lower Town or caused general mayhem. They would claim innocence, maybe even point the finger at him as the mastermind behind the plan. VOLTS would come down hard and make an example of them so that other gangs would think twice before trying anything. They couldn't let his gang off because then other gangs would sense an opening. In Mugenjou, it was survival of the fittest and no gang, not even VOLTS, could afford to look weak. Kouji wouldn't be able to prove anything, and Takani, Watsuki and Harada would escape unharmed, but would probably be kept under watch for a while. His gang would be the one to pay, no matter what. Would they even be allowed to leave Mugenjou? Kouji wondered. He had no doubt that he himself wouldn't be allowed to escape, but what about Seiichi? What about Toshi?

_They can still be saved._ That thought was all Kouji had left now. He had no illusions about toppling VOLTS on his own. They were shattered now that he had to face his own stupidity. Kouji took a deep breath. Enough deliberating. It was time he took responsibility for his mistake.

"Seiichi," he said to his vice commander, his protégé, his long-time friend. "I want you to take the younger men, their wives and children, and go into hiding. Leave Mugenjou if you can."

Seiichi, who in the end had decided to stay there until Kouji dismissed him, was speechless for a moment. Of all the things he'd been waiting for Kouji to say, this wasn't one of them.

"B-but Kouji-san! We can't leave now! What about the next phase of the plan?"

"There won't be a next phase," said Kouji. "We're done for. You know as well as I do that Toshi's scouts won't find Watsuki or Harada anywhere."

It was one thing to know this in your heart; it was another thing to say it out loud. Kouji couldn't look at Seiichi as he said these words, couldn't let the younger man know how badly he had been failed. He suddenly felt a hundred years older. Maybe it was the weight of all his men's lives on his conscience.

Seiichi didn't say anything for a moment. Kouji chanced a sideways glance at him and noted that he didn't seem surprised. _So he had felt it too. Why hadn't he said anything?_ Kouji already knew though. Having your men trust in you blindly had its advantages, but it had its disadvantages too.

"I'm changing the plan," explained Kouji. "I want you to take all of the younger men, leave me the ones without family, and—"

"No," said Seiichi.

Kouji stopped, surprised. "No? What do you mean 'no'?"

This was the first time Seiichi had disagreed with him, and the timing couldn't have been worse. He had to save as many of his people as he could while he stayed behind with a contingent of his most experienced men and held off VOLTS.

"I mean that I refuse to obey your order. You can't command me to abandon you," said Seiichi. "I don't know all the details of what has happened, but obviously something has gone terribly wrong, and I refuse to let you kill yourself cleaning up the mess."

_Because I would never forgive myself if I did that to you, Kouji-san. You have done so much for me since I was a boy and I can't repay you this way._ He didn't say this out loud though. Kouji already knew how much he meant to Seiichi.

Kouji, though, didn't have time to think about what all this meant in terms of their relationship. _Seiichi, you idiot. Get out of here! Now is not the time to suddenly develop a will of your own._ But before Kouji could say this, a messenger came running in, panic written all over his face. Kouji got a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Kouji-san…Seiichi-san…there are reports that…Fuyuki Shido is…investigating the blaze!...I don't know…how, but he may be…onto us. What should we do?" the messenger said between pants.

Seiichi turned to Kouji, whose face had returned to its usual mask and betrayed nothing.

"Send out our best squad and a back-up team," Kouji said, making up his mind on the spot. It wasn't a hard decision to make, as there really wasn't any other choice. He needed to buy more time, simple as that, and he couldn't let the rest of his men know. "Have the tranquilizer sharpshooters positioned in ambush, and bring him here alive if possible. He should at least be given the choice to join us after Amano Ginji falls. We are not murderers, after all. We'll also need powerful people like him to uphold our rule. Seiichi, go with them and make sure that they stop him. If we can keep him from alerting the rest of VOLTS as to what's happened, it would be easier for us all around."

"Hai," said Seiichi, giving Kouji a sharp nod to show that he had understood his real message. _Don't let the men know that something's wrong. Only kill the Beastmaster if you have to, otherwise we dig ourselves even deeper into trouble and we lose all chances of escape. Most importantly, don't let him expose us before we have time to run._ Seiichi made to follow the messenger, but threw a glance back over his shoulder at Kouji.

Kouji, however, was back at the railing and looking down into the darkness of the alley with the light of the full moon bathing him in an ethereal glow, as if he was already no longer of this world.

* * *

Everything happened too fast after that. Toshi had come back with the unsurprising news that none of the scouts knew where Harada's and Watsuki's gangs were and that they hadn't carried out their parts of the plan. Kouji sent Toshi's men out to distract the Loulan gang so that Emishi hopefully wouldn't notice Shido's absence. And then he had to play the waiting game. Waiting to see if his men were successful. Waiting to see if word reached the other leaders of VOLTS. Waiting for his destiny to show itself. Was he supposed to make a last stand and hope his people could escape during the distraction? Was he supposed to sneak away with the rest of them as quietly as he could? Should he try to bring down Takani and the other two with him? It all depended on what news Seiichi and Toshi brought.

When they did come back, in the early morning, it was with good news and bad. Seiichi was successful and they were dragging in an unconscious Shido bound in chains. They had sustained massive injuries, but in the end, the sharpshooters had won. However, the fight had caused a lot of noise, and there were two witnesses. Seiichi caught one, but the other escaped with severe injuries. Some of the men were out looking for the witness, but Seiichi said that the witness would probably die within the hour. Toshi's men had poisoned the Loulan clan, and Emishi was on his way according to the scouts. However, Sakura was going with him, and they were worried that she would realize that the clan was not sick, but poisoned. They had bought themselves a little time, but it was like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose.

Kouji decided, then, that he would have to take matters into his own hands. Seiichi still refused to leave, so Kouji explained the entire situation to his people, hoping that they at least would come to their senses and get away. Much to his disappointment, and his pride, no one chose to abandon him. They still believed in him. The women and children were sent into hiding and Kouji did the only thing he could do. If facing the Four Kings—Three Kings, now that they had Shido—and the Thunder Emperor was inevitable, then they would do everything they could to even the odds. Rather than wait for VOLTS to come for them, they would go on the offensive and make one last stand. If they were going to go down, they would do so facing their enemy head on, not with their backs turned in retreat. Kouji sent Toshi and his men to grab Makubex. The boy would be useful as a bargaining chip, and now that Sakura wasn't by his side, he would be much easier to catch. The only difficulty would be getting in and out without anyone noticing, but Toshi's scouts were good at stealth operations. Plus, it was still early morning. The boy was probably asleep. That would take it down to just two of the Four Kings, plus the Thunder Emperor, that they would have to face. Now all there was left to do was get Ginji to walk into their ambush. Kouji took Seiichi with him to the VOLTS lair.

When they got there, they found Juubei and Kazuki gathered around one of Makubex's computers. They were scanning the surveillance cameras. Kouji froze. He thought that they had walked into their own execution, but Kazuki greeted them politely and explained that someone had come in earlier, badly injured, but passed out before they could find out what happened. Thanks to Juubei, that person was recovering at a place nearby and would probably wake up in a few hours. Kouji knew that it was probably the escaped witness. He only had a few hours before they found out about Shido, so he had to act fast. The only good thing was that no one seemed to notice that Makubex was gone, yet. His men must have caught the boy because if they had failed, everyone would know. To make sure that they didn't notice Makubex's absence or continue scanning the cameras, he sent Kazuki and Juubei out to find Amano Ginji. Then he prepared for the final battle.

* * *

**Endnote**: Okay, so I lied when I said that this chapter would have Kouji vs. Raitei. Had to get this part out of the way first. The real climax, next chapter. 


	8. Endgame, Part II

**A/N**: Man this took me a while to write. So many characterization issues, since this is all character-driven (I hope). I actually had the last image in my head since the beginning, and now I finally get to write it down. I hope it was worth all the build up and delay.

I can see from the reviews that I was at least somewhat successful in developing Kouji's character. Yay. Thanks to all who reviewed.

**Rabid Lola**: Thanks for the props. Hope the backstory didn't drag too much.

**Atropos' Knife**: I actually forgot about those three getting their just desserts because I've been so focused on the characterization issues in this chapter. Thanks for reminding me. I'll see if I can address that before the end.

**Zining**: Thanks for your advice on backstory and characterization from those emails oh so long ago. And yeah, I feel bad for glossing over Shido and many other characters, but this is my first major fanfic and it was just too many characters to juggle. If they weren't important to the plot, I just shunted them to the side. I still had to account for their whereabouts though. I'll see if I can do better next time.

**Kaitosouta**: Is Kouji a bad guy? What do you think? The whole point of writing such a long backstory for him was so that the answer to your question wouldn't be a simple yes or no. I think during the VOLTS era, nothing was a clear black and white. It was all gray.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Getbackers.

* * *

Endgame, Part II

The wall he was leaning against exploded. Kouji was thrown several feet and landed with a thud, rolling to a stop against the opposite wall. He gasped for air, the breath knocked out of him, but that only caused all the dust to invade his lungs. The coughing it set off was nearly loud enough to be heard from the top of Babylon City, and he expected another attack to come any second, but it didn't. He briefly wondered why not, especially since he was down and out in the open, but he didn't have the time to really think about it. He grabbed a rock the size of a soccer ball, injected it with his ki and hurled it in the direction the previous attack had come from. Raitei wasn't there anymore, of course, but the impact of the rock took off half the roof he had been standing on.

This had been going on for what seemed like forever but was probably only a minute or two. Between the two of them, they were quickly demolishing the entire area. It was all hit and miss, with Raitei nearly hitting and Kouji mostly missing. His body ached from all the close calls and the should-have-beens. He was losing, which didn't surprise him at all given his opponent's reputation. He was mildly surprised, however, that he was still alive and had all four limbs. Kouji scanned the roofs and the shadows, his body tense and ready for the next attack. He was exposed now. All of the nearby buildings were in neat piles of smoldering brick. The only place to stand was in the middle of the wide and deserted street.

The hairs on the back of his neck alerted him to the attack just in time. He dodged to the left, rolled, and reached for a handful of stones. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Raitei was standing in the middle of the street a few meters behind where he just was. The faintly glowing boy was watching him with all the concentration of someone trying to swat a particularly annoying fly. That grated on Kouji's nerves.

With a cry, he flung the stones with all his might and ran for cover. They flew through the air like bullets and when the air cleared there was a crater where Raitei had been standing. The boy was long gone, of course. Kouji scanned up and down the street, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, the tension making his hands twitch.

It had come down to this—one on one, no place to hide, a fight to the death for the throne of Lower Town, winner take all. Just the two of them, locked in this deadly ritual of attack and counterattack. The situation made Kouji's blood race, it made him want to scream, it made him want to destroy. It was delicious. This was how he wanted it to be: fighting for his life to the very end, proving himself worthy of a grand battle, a match of power and wills. It wouldn't matter if he lost, he had nothing left to lose—all his men were dead, Seiichi among them; his people were scattered to the dark corners of Mugenjou. If he lost, then this would be his grand exit, his proof to himself that he was great and powerful and real. His life would be defined by this last great battle. He would make his final statement in blood.

There was a slight sound to his right and Kouji spun around immediately. He saw the Lightning Emperor standing not ten meters away, perched on top of a hill of rubble that used to be a giant warehouse. They faced off against each other, each sizing the other one up. A cool evening breeze blew across their skin. The seconds ticked by.

Kouji knew that a battle was as much physical as it was mental. He had been able to win many fights in the past because he knew his opponent's weaknesses and exploited them. It wasn't cheating, it was being smart. He couldn't see any of the Lightning Emperor's physical weaknesses—yet—but from their earlier exchange, he knew that he could get to him mentally. He had pushed the right buttons and had almost backed his opponent into a corner, but then he must've pushed too hard too early with the threat to Makubex. Whatever it was, Amano Ginji seemed to stop his downward spiral all of a sudden and regain his determination. His power even increased to levels that Kouji didn't know could be reached.

But that didn't mean that Kouji couldn't push those buttons again and cut him down to size. He had to try. It was the only card he had left to play.

"You seem pretty confident that you're going to win, Ginji," he called out. His response was a blast of electricity that singed his clothing. It was good that he was quick, he thought as he ducked away. Otherwise he'd be dead.

"That arrogance is going to get you killed," he said, regaining his feet and brushing the dirt from his clothes. "Or rather, it's what will get your friends killed."

Raitei narrowed his eyes at that.

"I can't believe that you're the one everyone chose to follow," yelled Kouji, ducking another blast. "If they only knew what lengths you'd go to just to hang on to your power. I knew you were nothing but a murdering tyrant."

The blast that incinerated the patch of dirt Kouji had been standing on was much faster, much stronger this time. Kouji smiled to himself as he dodged. It was working. Just a few more jabs and his opponent would start losing control, attacking recklessly and leaving himself open to counterattacks.

"That's right, I can see right through your act. You pretend to be some kind of hero, but really you're just as desperate as the rest of us to hold on to power. You let people think that you're untouchable, but once someone has the courage to challenge you, you'll go to whatever lengths it takes to keep your position, even if it costs Makubex his life. And you call _me_ the selfish one."

This time the blast came close enough that he felt the heat burn his skin through his clothes. Chunks of debris flew everywhere and Kouji had to shield himself with his arm.

"While you're busy trying to fight me," he shouted, ignoring the pain, "your friend Makubex is dying on the street, and it's all because of you. You know that he needs to get help, but they can't move him until the battle is over. If he dies, it'll be your fault."

That got him. Kouji noted gleefully how the attacks just stopped all of a sudden. It was good too, because he was getting out of breath from dodging. And he was running out of places to dodge to. The street around him was littered with smoking craters.

He grabbed a sharp, pointed metal rod from a ruin and turned around, ready to strike, but what he saw froze him in his tracks. Raitei hadn't moved, but he looked different somehow. Kouji couldn't figure out what was different, but he could sense the change in the way the air literally prickled with electricity. He didn't know if the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up because of the charge in the air or because of the person causing the charge. He had crossed a line somewhere, he knew it. But instead of throwing his opponent into a reckless rage or driving him back within himself, he had only added fuel to a cold, smoldering fire. This controlled anger was scarier than unleashed fury because it was focused, calculating. Raitei stayed where he was and glared down at Kouji.

Kouji felt the gaze boring into him and cutting right through him. It was unnerving, as if all of his secrets were visible to the naked eye. He started breaking into a cold sweat and he felt his heartbeat speeding up ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a little louder than he intended. He caught himself, irritated, and lowered his voice. "Stop staring at me as if I'm the killer. You're the one who hit him with the bolt of lightning. He's dying because of _you_."

Raitei said nothing and continued looking down at Kouji with those gleaming eyes, like an eagle perched high above. It made Kouji feel very small and exposed. He swallowed and tightened his grip on the metal rod. Then Raitei started walking down the hill of rubble toward him, slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Kouji the entire time. Kouji felt the first inklings of panic rise within him. Each step that Raitei took felt like the coming of the end. He had to stop him now, or momentum of the battle would turn completely against him.

"Hey, listen to me!" he yelled, putting every ounce of scorn and accusation into his voice. "Didn't you hear what I just said? You're allowing one of your closest friends, someone who has always looked up to you, to die in the street like a stray dog. You have to go save him. Don't you care at all? Are you _really_ that cold-blooded?"

Raitei stopped his advance. For the first time, Kouji got a really good look at the boy who ruled Lower Town. His clothes were slightly dusty from all the explosions, but there were no holes or tears. He was unscathed. His skin was remarkably pale and translucent. It gave off an unnatural glow that surrounded him like an aura, an impenetrable barrier between himself and everything around him. His face was sharply defined, all edges and planes, with none of the smooth softness of earlier, before he became angry. Kouji was surprised. The boy looked like a man. He had the face of a man, especially the eyes, which had none of the innocence or optimism they held before. These eyes were hard and piercing, and Kouji had the impression that they could see through almost anything. Most of all, though, those eyes were cold. They took in everything, missed nothing, and judged it all. There was no compassion there, no mercy. It was the eyes that made Kouji realize something that took him by surprise.

"You really don't care, do you?" he said softly. "You don't care that Makubex is probably dead by now. I can see it." He stared in amazement. "My God, I was only saying those things to hurt you, but now I know why they had no effect. I was right the entire time, and I thought I was just bluffing, but no, you really don't care whether he lives or dies."

Raitei's silence was a more pointed response than any words could have been. Kouji was stunned. He wanted to laugh. It was all so ridiculous and impossible, to think that he had been trying to hurt his opponent with what he thought were half-truths the entire time, and now to find out that what he'd been saying was actually the truth. The entire situation, from when he first realized he was tricked by those three gang leaders to this point, was ridiculous and impossible.

But then something else happened.

"You're right," said Raitei, slowly. His voice was deep, or deeper than it had been before they started fighting. "I don't care."

Kouji stood there dumbfounded. To hear his opponent admit this without trying to defend himself in any way was not what he'd expected. He had expected indignation, anger, shock, hurt, or at least an attempt at justification. Anything but this simple admission because it was so…brutal. And ruthless. And cold.

"But—But then…what…why…" he sputtered, at a loss for words. "What do you care about? Why are we fighting? If this isn't about revenge for Makubex, why are we fighting at all?"

"Because you tried to take him from me," answered Raitei, simply. "And because you tried to take Ginji from me."

Kouji didn't know what to say to this. There was something very wrong with what he just heard, but he couldn't quite understand what it—

"You tried to kill Makubex," explained Raitei. "I only tried to render both of you unconscious without killing him. It was a very fine line, but I was willing to take the risk. Ginji wasn't willing to and the decision was tearing him apart, but I was, and that was your mistake."

And then Kouji realized what was bothering him.

"Wait, you ARE Ginji, what are you talking about?" This was getting strange, hearing his opponent speak of himself in the third person, or as if he was someone else entirely, and it made Kouji nervous.

Raitei smirked a little, as if Kouji's confusion amused him. "I am what they call me."

Kouji snorted, a little louder than he meant to.

"You're delusional," he said, keeping the sharp end of the metal rod up and a wary eye on his opponent. "Raitei is just a nickname that people call you out of fear, but you're not any better than the rest of us. You're no god or emperor. You're still just Amano Ginji."

"See what I am with your own eyes then," said Raitei, getting tired of the conversation.

He rushed forward so fast that Kouji didn't even see it. The impact sent him flying into a pile of bricks that cut and scraped him. He didn't get a chance to catch his breath before another blow sent him tumbling into the dirt. Somehow, he managed to keep hold of the metal pipe. He struggled to his feet, coughed and spat out blood. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a white blur charging at him and he instinctively swung the pipe up.

There was a sickening sound as the pipe pierced through flesh, but the momentum of Raitei's attack didn't lessen as Kouji's body skidded clear across the street and rolled to a stop at the foot of a warehouse ruin. Kouji lay still for a second, gasping for breath. His body hurt all over, and not just from the attacks but from the hard landings too. He groaned as he rolled over and pushed himself slowly to his feet, swaying slightly.

Shaking his head to clear it, he looked up and saw Raitei was standing there with the metal pipe sticking out of the left side of his chest. The pipe had gone through and was half sticking out the back too. Kouji had managed to use his opponent's momentum to impale him. There wasn't much blood because the pipe was acting like a plug, but the moment it was pulled out, it would leave a hole the size of a baseball and blood would gush everywhere. Raitei was looking down at the pipe as if surprised it was there. Kouji felt slightly sick at the sight. He gasped as he watched Raitei reach up and pull the pipe from his chest, which made a horrible sucking sound. Raitei peered at the pipe and then tossed it casually aside, turning his gaze to Kouji, who was staring with his jaw hanging open, dumbstruck. An injury like that should've ended the fight then and there, but his opponent was still on his feet and seemingly unfazed. What did it take to stop this guy? Kouji's eyes widened even further as the wound started closing itself up right before his eyes. In seconds, it was as if the whole thing had never happened. The only sign that Kouji wasn't hallucinating was that Raitei's shirt still had a hole in it.

"Oh my God," said Kouji, unable to stop himself. "What kind of monster are you?"

Raitei snorted contemptuously. "Not a monster, but not human either. Something else entirely," he said, looking down at Kouji. "I am that which has no name."

Kouji couldn't believe what he was hearing, any more than he could believe what he just saw, but the proof was standing right before him and he knew that no human was capable of healing _that_ quickly, or even standing upright after receiving that type of injury. He was starting to question his sanity.

"W-what's going on here?" he asked, backing away slightly. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Raitei seemed to be considering whether or not he should answer.

"My true name should not to be wasted on those about to die," he said in the end. Kouji felt ice race down his back. "I am here waiting for someone. I am the dragon and he is the snake; we are twin serpents entwined by fate. The wheels of time are in motion, and even now that person is slowly making his way towards Mugenjou," said Raitei, looking out at the skyscrapers punctuating Tokyo's horizon.

Kouji tried to understand what he was hearing, but none of it made any sense to him. He didn't know anyone who was associated with snakes, and Raitei was alluding to some grand plan that he, Kouji, wasn't privy to. There were things going on around him, much bigger things than he could imagine, and this…being standing before him was the first proof of that. It was like he got a tantalizing flash of the inner workings of time and space, only to have it yanked from his grasp and the vault shut in his face. He felt very alone and excluded at the moment.

"But _why_?" It was a question flung out into the void. What he really meant was, _why is this happening, and not to me? Why him?_ But he couldn't say that out loud. It cost him too much to say it because then he would have to acknowledge the fact that he really _was_ on the outside looking in, so he just left it at that simple question: why?

"This boy was born for me," said Raitei, indicating the body he possessed. "Only his heart pure was enough not to be corrupted by my power, his body strong enough to sustain me, his soul powerful enough to contain me and his mind simple enough to see the truth: that my gift both blessing and curse."

He started advancing slowly on Kouji, who stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Stop! Don't come any closer," he cried, but Raitei kept coming.

"You tried to take him from me, tried to destroy his happiness and his innocence, all so that you could take his place in Mugenjou," he said, his approach as relentless as his words.

"No!" said Kouji, backing up even more, but there was no where to go. "I-I never…I just wanted…."

Raitei reached out and grabbed Kouji by the front of his shirt. He pulled him down to his height and stared at him straight in the eyes. Kouji tried to look away, but couldn't do it. Raitei's eyes were mesmerizing in their great and terrible beauty.

"Look at what you tried to attain, and see the futility of your attempt," said Raitei.

And Kouji looked. He saw himself as he had never seen himself before: struggling to be on top, fighting against other gangs for power, pretending to submit to VOLTS, plotting with those who betrayed him to attain the throne of Lower Town. And then he was scrambling to cover his tracks, digging himself in deeper because he refused to admit his mistakes, the situation spiraling out of his control, until he resorted to hostage-taking, bluffing, and manipulation. He had done it for his people, he had told himself, but was that really true? His men were all dead now, and he could have stopped them from throwing their lives away, but he didn't really try. He was had been so focused on proving to himself that he was powerful and important that he had ruined everything. Kouji looked into Raitei's eyes and instead of seeing what he so wanted before—power, respect, strength—he saw how insignificant and petty all his struggles were compared to the grand destiny of Amano Ginji, the boy who was chosen by this unnamable being to be the vehicle of his will. It was crushing to realize that nothing he had ever done will matter in the grand scheme of things. He was utterly unimportant compared to Amano Ginji and there was nothing he could do to change that. He was looking at the horrible truth in the face and it was staring back at him without pity.

It slowly dawned on him that he had deeply offended a godlike, probably invincible being and that said being had him by the shirtfront. Kouji started struggling, his mind gone blank except for the need to get away.

"Let go! Get off of me!" he yelled, panic rising. The scene might've been comical to a bystander, seeing such a large man trying so desperately to get away from a fifteen-year-old boy who was a good deal shorter and weighed about half as much, except the fear in Kouji's eyes was real.

Raitei released him suddenly and he fell backward ungracefully onto the dusty ground. Kouji scooted a few feet back, putting some distance between him and the strangely glowing boy, who was looking at him dispassionately.

"What are you going to do?" asked Kouji, his heart racing.

"Destroy you," said Raitei, as if it was obvious. He took one step forward.

Kouji scrambled to his feet and backed away, his eyes on Raitei the entire time.

"Don't come any closer!" he said, trying to keep his voice steady. He looked around for a weapon, but they were in the middle of the street and there was nothing. "Let me go!"

"No," said Raitei. "What you did was unforgivable. You trespassed against what was mine and what was under my protection. You should've considered the consequences before you acted." He advanced on Kouji, his electricity sizzling and charging up. "Your fate is sealed."

_No, it can't end this way! I'm not done yet!_ thought Kouji. He looked for a way out, but saw none. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide. He was trapped, again.

Raitei's face had turned to stony impassiveness. It was obvious that he had said everything he had wanted to say and that this was the end.

Kouji had had enough. The betrayal, the loss of Seiichi and his gang, the futile battle, the realization of his insignificant existence, and now the relentless, oncoming march of death was more than he could take. He broke down and started screaming at Raitei, or the universe in general—he didn't know which and didn't care.

"It's not _fair_!" he shrieked. "Why does it have to be this way! Why do YOU have the chance to do what you want and why do I have to die like this? You don't understand what it's like, being powerless and unimportant, always being ignored and never respected. It's not fair, damn you! Why didn't you pick ME? Why is it always about _him_! Everything in Mugenjou always goes _his_ way, never _my_ way. I HATE YOU. Do you hear me? I HATE you!"

For a split second, Kouji thought he saw the edges of Raitei's eyes soften and a bit of chocolate brown sadness seep into the blinding gold irises. It didn't matter if it was real or if it was the desperate hope of a lost man. He saw it and he grabbed for it.

"Ginji! GINJI! I know you can hear me! Don't do this! Don't do this to me!" He grabbed the unmoving figure by the shirt and pulled him up to look straight in the eyes, his own eyes moving wildly. "Ginji! Come out of there! You coward, I know you're there! I know you can hear me! If you're going to kill me, at least have the guts to do it yourself!" He shook him, hard, but it was no use. That flash of…something—kindness, sadness, or maybe just humanity—whatever it was that he had seen, it didn't matter, it was gone again, retreating into unknown depths.

_No! I saw it!_ It was his last hope.

He started swinging wildly, flailing his fists at the immovable figure before him. He connected with his fists, again and again, to the chest, to the face. Each time he landed a punch the figure in front of him reeled slightly to the right, to the left, but always went back to the same position as if nothing had happened. Kouji saw that his eyes were on him the whole time, but he didn't see him at all. It was as if he didn't exist anymore.

_Look at me, damn you!_ He renewed his punches, swinging faster and harder, anything to get back that sign of recognition, a flicker of emotion, anything at all. Just not this complete indifference. This he couldn't stand. It was the worst. He wanted to be loved, and if he couldn't be loved then he wanted to be respected, and if not that then he wanted to be feared or hated. Any type of emotion, any at all, because at least then he knew he had an effect on someone. He was real, he was important, he could affect people. His existence mattered, he wasn't insignificant. People would notice his presence; people would remember his life, even if it was with hate. That, at least, was something. But this utter indifference was unbearable. It was as if the stars had closed their eyes to him.

He realized dimly that he was shouting the entire time and that his throat was becoming hoarse, but he had no idea what he was saying. It came pouring out of his mouth like slugs, ugly as hell and it kept on coming, even now. His punches were weakening and slowing down, but still there was no change in the figure before him. He was nothing to this being.

Finally he just stopped and stood there, panting, swaying slightly on his feet. His arms ached to the point of shaking, and then his entire body started to shake. He stumbled and fell to his knees and sat down in the dirt. Raitei tilted his head slightly and looked down at him as if he were a beetle on its back, but Kouji didn't see this. Instead, he was staring straight ahead, his eyes blind to everything before him, but in his mind, he was seeing his life as it really was.

He saw himself squabbling with other junkyard kids for scraps of food, forcing the smaller ones to hand him their shares. He saw himself beating kids twice his size and remembered feeling proud. Soon he was twice the size of everyone else, and he beat everyone with even more ease. He remembered feeling big, feeling important. He saw Seiichi and Toshi and the others, and remembered how it felt to conquer a territory within Lower Town with them at his side and hold it for so long, beating back challengers every time they came. And then he remembered the one challenger he couldn't beat. It was the first time he had lost to anyone. He took the loss personally and bided his time, waiting either to be recognized for his power and elevated to the status of one of the Four Kings, or to seek revenge and force them all to recognize his power.

But all this didn't amount to anything. It hadn't mattered how big he was or how many opponents he'd defeated because his life was going to end here and he knew it, he saw it. He was going to be swallowed up by Mugenjou, or time, and there would be nothing left to mark his passing. He really _was_ insignificant. He was just another of the six billion or so humans milling about the planet. His existence or nonexistence didn't matter to the unknowable being before him or the universe in any way.

Kouji saw all of this laid out like a black hole before him. He wanted to back away from it, but there was no room to maneuver. There was but one path for him.

"It's not fair," he mumbled, suddenly so tired he felt like sleeping for a million years. "I never wanted to be like this, never thought I would come to this. I just wanted…to matter."

He fell silent, utterly defeated and spent. Raitei was still too, as if in respect for Kouji's situation. The moments passed, and a gust of cool evening air blew through. Kouji shivered.

Kouji wrapped his arms tightly around himself as if he would never be warm again. His breaths came in shallow gasps, and his lips were moving of their own accord. Distantly, he heard himself saying something that sounded like "this can't be it," or "this can't be all there is," but he didn't know anymore. It was all out of his control.

Raitei watched the man crumbling before him with the detachment of a scientist in a lab. It didn't matter to him that his opponent was stricken like this. All that mattered was that he be punished for causing Amano Ginji pain and for trying to take what was his.

But something was happening to him. He felt something in his chest heating up and spreading through his veins. The feeling went up his spine and through the back of his head, and then he realized what it was: Amano Ginji was waking up. Kouji's words had apparently reached the boy and the warmth that he was feeling was from the boy's human heart.

He wasn't done yet, though. Raitei clamped down on the feeling to keep it from taking over, all the while keeping an eye on the pathetic form before him. To his surprise, the boy fought back, drawn out by the other man's pitiable state. Kouji's words echoed in his mind: _Coward! If you're going to kill me, at least have the guts to do it yourself._ It was a powerful challenge, a dying man's last request. Raitei understood the implications of these words, what it would mean if he didn't allow Ginji to meet this challenge, and relented. Slowly he retreated, allowing the boy to reawaken at least partially. The bolts of electricity died down, although random sparks still jumped here and there. His skin lost most of its unnatural glow, but remained somewhat translucent. His eyes lost their hard edge, but failed to regain their warm brown color, instead turning a clear champagne yellow.

Amano Ginji looked around, disoriented. For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was or why there was a hole in his shirt. Only hazy images came to mind. The last thing he remembered was—

"Makubex!" He looked around, but didn't see any sign of the silver-haired boy. He was about to panic when he remembered that Kazuki and Juubei were with him, and he knew that they would take care of the boy.

Looking down, he saw Suzuki Kouji sitting in the dirt, trembling as if greatly shaken by something. Ginji had a good idea what—or rather, who—it was that had done this to him. Bending down, he carefully reached out a hand to pat him on the shoulder, but the man flinched away from him and started mumbling something Ginji couldn't quite catch. Ginji hastily withdrew his hand.

Then the words of Kouji's challenge floated up into his mind, and he knew why he had woken up like this, with cold fire still racing through his veins and all his senses still heightened. He had to kill this man, because if he didn't, that thing that happened to him when he became angry or sad would happen again, and he would probably still end up killing him anyways. And if he didn't kill him now, other gangs would sense an opening and try to attack VOLTS and each other, and Lower Town would descend into chaos again. On top of this, looking at the pathetic mess of a man before him, Ginji doubted Kouji would ever be the same again. If he let him go, Kouji would no doubt be killed by some random desperate thug or one of those monsters from the Beltline, and there was no guarantee that his death would be clean or quick. To end his life here would be the most merciful thing Ginji could do.

Ginji knew this instinctively, knew that the unwritten laws of Mugenjou demanded this, but his heart couldn't accept it. He paused where he was, unable to take the next step, but knew that it had to be taken. Then he felt that familiar icy feeling sweep over him, knew what was going to happen if he hesitated, if he let it come. He felt his heart grow colder, felt the resolve harden in his veins. He had to do it, now, even if it cost him a part of himself.

He knelt down and wrapped his arms around the trembling man and pulled him close, as if he was comforting a child. Kouji smelled of dust and sweat, but he didn't mind. He let him rest there, in his arms, with his face pressed against his shoulder. The man was quieting down now, his babbling dying down to a soft, indiscernible whisper. The shaking was subsiding too. Kouji's breathing slowed, his body relaxed, and he slumped into the embrace, a stray lamb returning to the fold. They sat there like that for a long moment without moving. All became still. The man sighed and gave himself over.

It was time.

An electrical storm whirled up around them, blowing the dust into a cocoon, enshrouding them in the intimacy of the moment. Electricity crackled around them and then the Lightning Emperor, Amano Ginji, closed his eyes and pressed his lips softly and tenderly to Kouji's forehead. He saw the light coming and let the light burn away all thought and flood every corner of his being, gathering his energy, condensing all his love and hate and anger and sadness and hope and despair—everything he had, everything his heart contained—into a core, holding it until it pained him. And then, taking one last breath, he poured it all out, all of it, in a blinding river of electricity through his lips into the shaking man in his arms.

When it was all over, when the spasms had stopped and the wind had died down, Ginji stayed just he was, eyes still closed, arms still wrapped around the corpse, too empty to move. He didn't feel the raindrops that started falling from the sky to mingle with the tears streaking down his face, staining the soft sand. He didn't feel the body cooling in his arms or the shaking of his own body. He didn't feel anything at all.

* * *

**Endnote**: I hope I resolved the characterization issues alright. I still think some aspects of Raitei were somewhat OOC, but I've been wracking my brain for weeks and this was the best I could do so I'm at least satisfied. Constructive criticism would be appreciated. Next chapter, some loose ends are tied up. Character and story notes will be posted on my LJ instead of here because they're rather lengthy. 


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